English Hedging Strategies in Master Theses Written by Egyptian and Native English Researchers: A Pragmalinguistic Study | ||
| المجلة العلمیة لکلیة الآداب-جامعة أسیوط | ||
| Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 15 October 2024 | ||
| Document Type: بحوث علمية محکمة | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/aakj.2024.303913.1817 | ||
| Author | ||
| نانسي اشرف جرجس* | ||
| قسم اللغة الإنجليزية، كلية الآداب، جامعة اسيوط، اسيوط | ||
| Abstract | ||
| This study adopted a pragmalinguistic approach to investigate hedging devices found within the introductory and concluding chapters of Master theses by both Egyptian researchers (ERs) and native English researchers (NERs). To the researcher's knowledge, no previous studies have attempted to examine how frequently NERs and ERs use hedging strategies in their Master theses. This study fills a research gap by analyzing hedging strategies in Master theses written by NERs and ERs, highlighting a significant gap in the current literature. The primary goal of this study was to thoroughly analyze and distinguish the key differences and similarities between NERs and ERs in their use of hedging strategies. Additionally, the study aimed to investigate how these hedges were implemented differently across various disciplines, as well as how the utilization of hedging varied based on gender among NERs and ERs. A qualitative research methodology was employed to achieve these objectives effectively. Data were collected from twelve selected master theses conducted by NERs and ERs in two different disciplines (linguistics and chemistry). It was evident that NERs employed a higher frequency of hedging strategies compared to ERs, with a notable prevalence of hedges in the master theses of both groups in linguistics rather than in chemistry. Moreover, the analysis indicated a higher frequency of hedging in the introductory chapters of the master theses in chemistry and linguistics compared to their concluding chapters. Female NERs and ERs were also found to employ hedging strategies more frequently in their theses compared to their male counterparts. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| Hedging strategies; master theses; Egyptian researchers; native English researchers; pragmatic functions | ||
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