Abstract:

Academic English is a vital skill for novice writers, especially, in scientific and academic discourses where the argumentative-rhetoric component characterizes many of the texts circulating within the community. A key issue, thus, is the analysis of interpersonal features, among others hedging devices. In this sense, the importance of metadiscourse in academic and professional practices lies in the specific interaction which usually involves the author’s positioning in the text. Although discourses have been traditionally studied from their mainly informative function it is in such specialized sphere where mitigation plays a key role first by persuading about the knowledge being conveyed and second by making the author’s visibility more or less salient. As a matter of fact, the appropriate use of hedging by L2 writers presenting their ideas to their academic peers is certainly a challenging technique to acquire and experts in the field do not seem to reach an agreement on the possible causes of such difficulty. While Mauranen 1993, Connor 1996, Valero-Garcés 1996 and Oliver 2005 observe potential differences in writing styles, Bazerman 1988, Bloor 1996 and Hyland 2000 detect certain lack of ability in non-native speakers when modulating their writing. Thus, the aim of the present paper is to discuss the problems encountered by our English L2 students in two subjects taught within the English Studies Programme in our university: a) Advanced Academic Abilities and b) English for Academic & Professional Purposes.The former at Graduate level and the second at Masters one. The ultimate goal is, then, to aid students’ writing by making them aware of the wide range of linguistic items available for them in English language (personal pronouns, modal verbs, probability adjectives and adverbs, conditional forms or even the passive voice), which are used in academic texts to primarily soften their claims and/or to enhance interaction with the reader. In other words, to learn the proper use of hedging devices which can be present at different linguistic levels in specialized discourses and have different functions according to the author's intention in the text. In this sense, after observing how learners of English as a foreign language perceive this rhetorical device in specialized contexts, we show how the categorization of hedging functions in the text can be used as a pedagogical tool to help Advanced students of English L2 in their writing processes and, thus, improve the quality of their academic texts at university level having in mind their 21st Century professional scenario interaction.

Keywords:

Academic, English Professional Communication, English for Specific Purposes (ESP), Hedging Intercultural Studies.