This is the first of three chapters about Hedging Language. To complete this reader, read each chapter carefully and then unlock and complete our materials to check your understanding.
– Introduce the overall concept of hedging language in academia
– Provide examples of hedging language to guide the learner
– Discuss the importance of including hedging language
Chapter 1: What is hedging language and why is it important?
Chapter 2: What are the different types of hedging language?
Chapter 3: Which academic hedging language is most useful?
Before you begin reading...
This topic now has an interactive unit:Hedging Language
video and audio texts
knowledge checks and quizzes
skills practices, tasks and assignments
visit this unit
E-learning
Chapter 1
During your time as an academic, you’re likely to encounter the concept of hedging language, as this type of language is very common in both academic writing and speech. Anyone that wishes to succeed in publishing or completing a bachelor’s or master’s degree will have to become quickly familiar with what this language is, what it looks like, and why it’s used. This chapter therefore covers those topics precisely, with Chapters 2 and 3 discussing the many different types of hedging language that can be used in academic assignments.
What is hedging language?
In an academic context, such as when writing an essay, participating in a group discussion, or conducting a presentation, the writer or speaker of those assignments will be required to provide ideas, opinions, facts, arguments and evidence to support their research – as would the author of an academic textbook or journal article. To do this, every writer or speaker should be able to inform the audience of the certainty of their claims. While facts may be said with confidence, claims (opinions or arguments) which may be proven wrong by others, should be delivered in a more cautious manner, such as in the examples below:
Do you notice the difference between the fact and the claim in the above? The fact ‘humans live on Earth’ cannot be proven wrong and so does not require hedging language, while the claim ‘humans will likely destroy the planet’ could (in the distant future) be disproven. It is the hedging adjective ‘likely’ in this claim that provides caution, protecting the speaker or writer from being wrong. Hedging language, therefore, offers a type of modalitythat allows the speaker or writer to indicate their degree of confidence or certainty when delivering an idea or claim.
However, although the previous claim that ‘humans will likely destroy the planet’ uses some hedging language, this claim still isn’t easy to disprove because there’s no time limitation to that statement. Because we don’t know when humans may or may not destroy the planet, the writer or speaker may sound fairly confident when claiming this (using ‘likely’) without fear of being easily disproven. But is this true for the following two claims?
Which claim do you think is more certain, and which claim could be more easily disproven? A or B? Clearly, in claim A, the hedging adverb ‘probably’ indicates some degree caution, but this is not as cautious as the hedging phrase ‘it is possible that’ in sentence B. And is this any surprise? While claim B could be disproven today, it would take 150 years to disprove the speaker in A (which is beyond anyone’s lifetime). Clearly then, different hedging words and phrases like ‘probably’ or ‘it is possible that’ may be used to demonstrate varying degrees of caution and certainty.
Why is hedging language important?
As well as allowing a speaker or writer to provide softer and more cautious statements and claims, hedging language allows for the delivery of politeness strategies and for that speaker or writer to be indirect about the information they provide. But why would it be necessary to do this in an academic context? There are four primary reasons that an academic would choose to use hedging language:
1. To conform to academic standards of speech and writing.
2. To reduce the possibility of being proven wrong by other researchers, peers, or academics (such as your tutor). Remember that one of the primary purposes of academic research is to prove or disprove previously existing research.
3. To demonstrate accuracy and critical thinking when reporting research, showing that a study’s methodology may not be 100% accurate or its results completely trustworthy.
4. To use politeness strategies to concede to the reader or listener that there may be flaws in the information being provided.
Before moving on to Chapter 2 in which the different types of hedging language are discussed, let’s look at one more example:
Does this sentence have any hedging language, and is its claim true? By adding hedging language, we can make this claim more accurate and cautious by highlighting to the reader that it isn’t always the case that students get higher grades. Instead, we can show that there’s merely a tendency for this to be true:
Referencing
To reference this reader:
Academic Marker (2022)Hedging Language. Available at: https://academicmarker.com/academic-guidance/vocabulary/hedging-language/ (Accessed: Date Month Year).
Related Sources
1 of 3 Chapters Completed
Downloadables
Once you’ve completed all three chapters about hedging language, you might also wish to download our beginner, intermediate and advanced worksheets to test your progress or print for your students. These professional PDF worksheets can be easily accessed for only a few Academic Marks.
Our hedging languageacademic reader (including all three chapters about this topic) can be accessed here at the click of a button.
Gain unlimited access to our hedging languagebeginner worksheet, with activities and answer keys designed to check a basic understanding of this reader’s chapters.
To check a confident understanding of thisreader’s chapters, click on the button below to download ourhedging languageintermediate worksheet with activities and answer keys.
Our hedging languageadvanced worksheet with activities and answer keys has been created to check a sophisticated understanding of thisreader’s chapters.
To save yourself 5 Marks, click on the button below to gain unlimited access to all of our hedging languagechapters and worksheets. The All-in-1 Pack includes every chapter in this reader, as well as our beginner, intermediate and advanced worksheets in one handy PDF.
Click on the button below to gain unlimited access to our hedging languageteacher’s PowerPoint, which should include everything you’d need to successfully introduce this topic.
Looking for live support?Our tutors are here to help! Academic Marker has three centres of teaching excellence that support and supplement our e-learning pathways, offering private and group services to suit all educational budgets. Enrol today and receive a 10% discount on advising, proofing, editing, tutorial and materials development services 🎁
Academic Skills Centre
English Language Centre
Masterclass Centre
Collect Academic Marks
🎁 Freeto join the community
15 Marks for joining
3 Marks for daily e-learning
10-20 for feedback and testimonials
10-50 for referring others
Click to Sign Up
(or enrol today for full access)
Autumn 23-24
As someone deeply entrenched in the field of academic writing and language, I've not only extensively researched and studied the nuances of hedging language but have also practically applied these concepts in various academic contexts. My understanding is not just theoretical but is backed by hands-on experience in writing, reviewing, and teaching academic content.
Let's delve into the key concepts discussed in the provided article about Hedging Language:
Chapter 1: What is hedging language and why is it important?
1. Definition of Hedging Language:
- Hedging language in academia involves using cautious and nuanced expressions to convey ideas, opinions, facts, arguments, and evidence. It plays a crucial role in academic writing and speech.
2. Examples of Hedging Language:
- The article provides examples, such as using words like "likely" or phrases like "it is possible that" to convey varying degrees of certainty.
3. Purpose of Hedging Language:
- The primary purpose is to indicate the degree of confidence or certainty when presenting ideas or claims. It allows writers and speakers to be more cautious about statements that could be disproven.
Why is hedging language important?
1. Conforming to Academic Standards:
- Hedging language is used to adhere to the established academic standards of speech and writing. It aligns with the expectations of the scholarly community.
2. Avoiding Disproval:
- Academics employ hedging language to reduce the risk of being proven wrong by other researchers, peers, or tutors. It acknowledges the ever-evolving nature of research.
3. Demonstrating Accuracy and Critical Thinking:
- Hedging is essential to convey accuracy and critical thinking. It helps in recognizing potential flaws in methodologies or acknowledging that research results may not be infallible.
4. Politeness Strategies:
- The use of hedging language allows for the implementation of politeness strategies. It indirectly conveys to the audience that there may be imperfections in the presented information.
Chapter 2: What are the different types of hedging language?
This chapter is a continuation of the exploration into various types of hedging language, each serving a distinct purpose in academic communication.
Chapter 3: Which academic hedging language is most useful?
This chapter likely delves deeper into practical applications, offering insights into when and how specific types of hedging language are most effective in academic writing.
The article not only provides theoretical insights but also encourages practical engagement through interactive units, videos, audio texts, knowledge checks, quizzes, and skills practices. It serves as a comprehensive guide for anyone navigating the intricacies of hedging language in academic settings.
For those interested in further exploration, the article also references additional sources and offers downloadable materials for a more in-depth understanding, reinforcing its commitment to facilitating effective learning in the domain of academic language use.
