Comparative Analysis of Studies on the Concept of Hedging in Native and Non-Native English Contexts
Keywords:
hedging, academic writing, native and non-native writers, pragmatic competence, discourse analysis, politeness strategies, cultural differences, academic communication, EFL learners, UzbekistanAbstract
The article explores the concept of hedging as an essential linguistic strategy used in academic and professional communication. It analyzes and compares several studies on hedging used by native and non-native English speakers. The article explains that hedging helps writers express uncertainty, politeness, and caution when presenting ideas and research results. Hedging in academic writing, diplomatic newspapers, and students' research papers is given special attention in the article.
The analysis indicates that native English writers use hedging more effectively, whereas non-native English writers show a lack of awareness of its functions. The article also discusses the influence of gender and cultural background on the use of hedges. Moreover, the necessity of teaching hedges in higher education in Uzbekistan is emphasized. It can be concluded that improving knowledge of hedging can help learners to create more persuasive and academically appropriate texts.
