A Corpus-Based Comparison of Hedging in Research Articles: Filipino and Thai Contexts
Keywords:
English Language Teaching; hedging; results and discussionAbstract
Hedging remains a critical rhetorical strategy for balancing conviction and caution in academic discourse. This study investigates the deployment of hedges in the Results and Discussion (R-D) sections of English Language Teaching (ELT) research articles (RAs) written by Filipino and Thai writers. Drawing on a corpus-based analysis of 70 articles—35 from each national group—the study finds notable differences in both the frequency and the preferred forms of hedging, with Filipino writers demonstrating a consistently higher density of hedge use. These patterns are shaped in part by each country's distinct relationship with English: a second language (ESL) context in the Philippines and a foreign language (EFL) context in Thailand, even where disciplinary writing conventions are broadly shared. These findings yield implications for EAP (English for Academic Purposes) pedagogy in Southeast Asia, advocating for targeted instruction in strategic caution and rhetorical positioning.
https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.25.5.42
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