There may be differences: analysing the use ofhedges in English and Spanish research articles

Pilar Mur-Dueñas ^[1]
1. [1] Universidad de Zaragoza
  
  Universidad de Zaragoza
  
  Zaragoza, España
Localización: Lingua: International review of general linguistics, ISSN 0024-3841, Nº 260, 2021
Idioma: inglés
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Resumen
- Scholars currently need to publish their research results in English-medium high-impact publications. However, in some disciplinesscholars undertake to publish in other languages as well as in the medium of English. In this context, it is interesting to analyze researcharticles (RAs) in two languages (English and Spanish) within a single discipline (Business Management). The study will present a corpus-based intercultural analysis of a particular interpersonal rhetorical strategy, hedging. Hedges are strategically employed in RAs toexpress meaning tentatively and tone down knowledge claims, and they have been found to be subject to generic, disciplinary andcultural and linguistic variation. The results from the corpus show differences in their extent of use overall, in the distribution of hedgesacross the sections of the RAs as well as in their lexico-grammatical realization and preferred rhetorical choices. The differences may beaccounted for not only linguistically but also culturally, considering the different languages in which they are written and the contexts inwhich they are published. The findings can have significant implications for Languages for Academic Purposes and applications in thetraining of (novice) academic writers who may be aspiring to publish their research internationally in English, but also nationally inSpanish.