Using hedges in research articles of applied linguistics: Native and non-native patterns

Students and researchers need to be able to master hedging as one of the most significant resources for academics in order to be recognised as members of a scientific community and get their papers published in journals whose language of publication is English. This paper presents the results of re...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Rahman Sahragard, Masoume Ahmadi, Naser Sabourian Zadeh
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Universiti Malaya 2015-12-01
Series:Journal of Modern Languages
Subjects:
Online Access:https://ijps.um.edu.my/index.php/JML/article/view/2958
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1846156776769060864
author Rahman Sahragard
Masoume Ahmadi
Naser Sabourian Zadeh
author_facet Rahman Sahragard
Masoume Ahmadi
Naser Sabourian Zadeh
author_sort Rahman Sahragard
collection DOAJ
description Students and researchers need to be able to master hedging as one of the most significant resources for academics in order to be recognised as members of a scientific community and get their papers published in journals whose language of publication is English. This paper presents the results of reviewing 100 English language research articles (RAs) in applied linguistics, discussing the importance, frequency and distribution of hedging categories in different sections of RAs (namely Abstract, Introduction, Method, and Results) authored by native (NESs) and non-native speakers (NNESs) through employing Salager– Mayer’s (1994) classification. The analysis of Chi–square was conducted and the observed value of Chi-square (x2=5049.7≥ x2 obs= 3.84, df =1) showed that NESs and NNESs differed significantly in using hedges in their RAs. The findings indicated that in all sections but Introduction, non–native speakers outperformed their native counterparts in employing different hedging categories. NESs had hedged 48.7 times more than expected in the Introduction part while the frequency of hedges in other sections was lower than the expected rate; however, this rate was not the same for NNEs. Accordingly, the Introduction part may be considered as one of the major sections on which NNESs need to be given instructions to hedge as much as expected. NNESs must move beyond the view that the Introduction section of RAs is merely a detached and factual section which should be reported directly without reviewing the literature embedded therein.
format Article
id doaj-art-e0aae35d61fa4a7f814a14a8abbddb0f
institution Kabale University
issn 1675-526X
2462-1986
language English
publishDate 2015-12-01
publisher Universiti Malaya
record_format Article
series Journal of Modern Languages
spelling doaj-art-e0aae35d61fa4a7f814a14a8abbddb0f2024-11-25T19:00:13ZengUniversiti MalayaJournal of Modern Languages1675-526X2462-19862015-12-01261Using hedges in research articles of applied linguistics: Native and non-native patternsRahman Sahragard0Masoume Ahmadi1Naser Sabourian Zadeh2Shiraz UniversityYazd University, IranShiraz University, Iran Students and researchers need to be able to master hedging as one of the most significant resources for academics in order to be recognised as members of a scientific community and get their papers published in journals whose language of publication is English. This paper presents the results of reviewing 100 English language research articles (RAs) in applied linguistics, discussing the importance, frequency and distribution of hedging categories in different sections of RAs (namely Abstract, Introduction, Method, and Results) authored by native (NESs) and non-native speakers (NNESs) through employing Salager– Mayer’s (1994) classification. The analysis of Chi–square was conducted and the observed value of Chi-square (x2=5049.7≥ x2 obs= 3.84, df =1) showed that NESs and NNESs differed significantly in using hedges in their RAs. The findings indicated that in all sections but Introduction, non–native speakers outperformed their native counterparts in employing different hedging categories. NESs had hedged 48.7 times more than expected in the Introduction part while the frequency of hedges in other sections was lower than the expected rate; however, this rate was not the same for NNEs. Accordingly, the Introduction part may be considered as one of the major sections on which NNESs need to be given instructions to hedge as much as expected. NNESs must move beyond the view that the Introduction section of RAs is merely a detached and factual section which should be reported directly without reviewing the literature embedded therein. https://ijps.um.edu.my/index.php/JML/article/view/2958Hedging, shield, approximator, emotionally-charged hedges, research article
spellingShingle Rahman Sahragard
Masoume Ahmadi
Naser Sabourian Zadeh
Using hedges in research articles of applied linguistics: Native and non-native patterns
Journal of Modern Languages
Hedging, shield, approximator, emotionally-charged hedges, research article
title Using hedges in research articles of applied linguistics: Native and non-native patterns
title_full Using hedges in research articles of applied linguistics: Native and non-native patterns
title_fullStr Using hedges in research articles of applied linguistics: Native and non-native patterns
title_full_unstemmed Using hedges in research articles of applied linguistics: Native and non-native patterns
title_short Using hedges in research articles of applied linguistics: Native and non-native patterns
title_sort using hedges in research articles of applied linguistics native and non native patterns
topic Hedging, shield, approximator, emotionally-charged hedges, research article
url https://ijps.um.edu.my/index.php/JML/article/view/2958
work_keys_str_mv AT rahmansahragard usinghedgesinresearcharticlesofappliedlinguisticsnativeandnonnativepatterns
AT masoumeahmadi usinghedgesinresearcharticlesofappliedlinguisticsnativeandnonnativepatterns
AT nasersabourianzadeh usinghedgesinresearcharticlesofappliedlinguisticsnativeandnonnativepatterns