VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES: FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES THỊ THANH HIUYỄN ASTUDY OF HEDGING DEVICES IN CONVERSATIONS IN GONE WITH THE WIND BY MARGARET MITCHELL (Nghiên cứu các nhương tiện rào đún trang các cuộc hội thoại của tác phẩm Cuấn theo chiễu giỏ của nhà văn Margaret Mitchell) M. THESIS Field: Linguistics Code: 60.15 HANOI - 2012 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDEES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES NGUYÊN THỊ THANH HUYỄN ASTUDY OF HEDGING DEVICES IN CONVERSATIONS IN GONE WITH THE WIND BY MARGARET MITCHELL (Nghiên cứu các nhường in rao din trong các cuộc hội thoại của tác phẩm Cuấn theo chiễu giỏ của nhà văn Margaret Mitchell) M. THESIS Field: Linguisties Code: 60. TRAN XUAN BIEP HHANOL— 2012 TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of contents List of tables.
cece cesses HH1 KH. H1 Hà Hư ng ưưn v List of figutres. ccccs2cccscec TH, HH H1 H021 vi Abbreviations vì PART L: LNTRODUCTION. 1 3 Aims of the rescarch and research questions: 2 3.
Implications of the research.--ccc-cccc> 2 4 Scope of the research 3 5 Methodology 3 6. 4 PART 2: DEVELOPMENT 3 CHAPTER 1 $ 'Theoretical lackground. Definitions of hedge 5 1. Classification of hedging devices and hedging functions 6 1.
Hedges versus conversational maxims and politeness stvategies.4 About Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell 15 1. 17 Findings and Discussions 17 21. Overview of hedging devices in Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell.2 Analysis of hedging devices in Gane with the Wind 19 conversatious by investigating linguistic realization of hedging, pragmatic functions and some linguistic features of identified hedges, the author of the present paper decided lo camy oul the study enlilled “A study of hedging devices in conversations in Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell”. In addition to certain theoretical contributions, the study is expected to have certain implications in language teaching when various linguistic expressions would be used to serve as valuable examples for hedging demonstration at work 2.
Aims of the research and research questions As mentioned earlier, the present research aimed to investigate linguistic devices of hedging. their linguistic realization and their major pragmatic funetions in conversations in Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. The present study attempts to address the following rescarch questions: © What are main hedging devices employed in conversations in Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell? © What are major functions of identified hedging deviees in conversations in Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell? 3. Implications of the research Both theoretical and practical implications may be offered by the findings of the present study.
From the theoretical perspective, this study may serve as an additional source of empirical studies on hedges in a way that it indicated different types of hedging devices used in everyday conversations to achieve different pragmatic effects and proved the possibility of utilizing the combined polypragmatic functions of hedges to investigalc hedging phenomenon in spoken discourse. In terms of practical perspective, the present study may serve certain samples as a source of authentic materials in learning and teaching hedging devices and functions of hedges sinve a lext-based approach: is believed lo be a key dealing with the lack PART 1: INTRODUCTION This part will briefly present the rationale of the research, indicate the research purposes and research questions, and finally outline the organization of the study as a whole. Rationale It is widely accepted that making frictions in human beings’ everyday interaction within a community is almost inevitable. In order to reduce such a friction and inainlain peave and social harmony, there are certain stratogics thal.
should be followed. One of these strategies is “hedging” Introduced for the first time by Lakoff in 1972, the term of “hedge” was generally understood as “words whose job is to make thing fuzzier or less fuzzy”. Since its appearance, ledges have received a great. deal of attention in conversation analysts where such devices are used to create conviviality, facilitate discussion, or show politeness (Holmes, 1984; 1995), Hedging has also been associated with conveying purposive vagueness (Powell, 1985) and as a ineans of achieving distance belween the speaker and what is said (Skelton, 1997).
Being an interesting linguistic phenomenon, hedges have been concerned by a number of linguists. However, as a matter of fact, Yu (2009: 34) indicated that the majouly of hedge studies are found to be concemed wilh academic or scientific writing, including genres such as economics (Pindi and Bloor, 1986; Channell, 1990), science digests (Falmestovk, 1986), medical discourse (Sulager-Meyer, 1991, 1993, 1994, Adams-Smith, 1984), molecular genetics articles (Myers, 1989), and news-writing (Zuck & Zuck, 1986, 1987) The field of spoken discourse, in contrast, seems to receive a comparatively limited number of comprehensive and tharongh investigations Hence. with the hope of contributing (o enrich the Hicrature of researches ou hedging in spoken discourse and to shed some light on the hedging phenomenon in American everyday vil ABBREVIATIONS Adj Adjectives Adv. Adverbs IPM Interpersonal pragmatic markers n Mumber > Page PPM Proportional pragmatic markers LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Taxonomy of hedging devices by Salager-Meyer (1994} ‘Table 2: Summary of hedging fiunctions and the devives used to express them by Hyland (1998) ‘Table 3; Vaxonomy of hedging devices by ¥u (2009) Table 4: Hedging devices in conversations in Gone with the Wind Table 5: Modal hedges: modal aux., and epistemic lexical verbs Table 6: Quantificational hedges: approximators of quantity, frequency, degree, and “negation + intensifier” Table 7: Pragmaticmarker hedges: interpersonal and propositional Table 8: Other minor types of hedging devices: subjunctives, tag questions, and depersonalization conversatious by investigating linguistic realization of hedging, pragmatic functions and some linguistic features of identified hedges, the author of the present paper decided lo camy oul the study enlilled “A study of hedging devices in conversations in Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell”.
In addition to certain theoretical contributions, the study is expected to have certain implications in language teaching when various linguistic expressions would be used to serve as valuable examples for hedging demonstration at work 2. Aims of the research and research questions As mentioned earlier, the present research aimed to investigate linguistic devices of hedging. their linguistic realization and their major pragmatic funetions in conversations in Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. The present study attempts to address the following rescarch questions: © What are main hedging devices employed in conversations in Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell? © What are major functions of identified hedging deviees in conversations in Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell? 3.
Implications of the research Both theoretical and practical implications may be offered by the findings of the present study. From the theoretical perspective, this study may serve as an additional source of empirical studies on hedges in a way that it indicated different types of hedging devices used in everyday conversations to achieve different pragmatic effects and proved the possibility of utilizing the combined polypragmatic functions of hedges to investigalc hedging phenomenon in spoken discourse. In terms of practical perspective, the present study may serve certain samples as a source of authentic materials in learning and teaching hedging devices and functions of hedges sinve a lext-based approach: is believed lo be a key dealing with the lack LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Taxonomy of hedging devices by Salager-Meyer (1994} ‘Table 2: Summary of hedging fiunctions and the devives used to express them by Hyland (1998) ‘Table 3; Vaxonomy of hedging devices by ¥u (2009) Table 4: Hedging devices in conversations in Gone with the Wind Table 5: Modal hedges: modal aux., and epistemic lexical verbs Table 6: Quantificational hedges: approximators of quantity, frequency, degree, and “negation + intensifier” Table 7: Pragmaticmarker hedges: interpersonal and propositional Table 8: Other minor types of hedging devices: subjunctives, tag questions, and depersonalization LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Taxonomy of hedging devices by Salager-Meyer (1994} ‘Table 2: Summary of hedging fiunctions and the devives used to express them by Hyland (1998) ‘Table 3; Vaxonomy of hedging devices by ¥u (2009) Table 4: Hedging devices in conversations in Gone with the Wind Table 5: Modal hedges: modal aux., and epistemic lexical verbs Table 6: Quantificational hedges: approximators of quantity, frequency, degree, and “negation + intensifier” Table 7: Pragmaticmarker hedges: interpersonal and propositional Table 8: Other minor types of hedging devices: subjunctives, tag questions, and depersonalization iv 2.1, Analysis of modal hedges. Analysis of performative hedges.
Analysis of quantilicalional hedges 2. Analysis of pragmatic-marker hedges. 5, Analysis of tag questions, subjunctives and depersonalization. Functional analysis of hedging devices in Gone with the Wind 2.1, Speaker-oriented function of hedges.
Accuracy-oriented function of hedges 23. Hearer-oriented function of hedges PART 3: CONCLUSION. 1 Recapitulation of main ideas of the research. Tảmilahens of thơ siudy, 3 Suggestions for further studies.1, Analysis of modal hedges.
Analysis of performative hedges. Analysis of quantilicalional hedges 2. Analysis of pragmatic-marker hedges. 5, Analysis of tag questions, subjunctives and depersonalization.
Functional analysis of hedging devices in Gone with the Wind 2.1, Speaker-oriented function of hedges. Accuracy-oriented function of hedges 23. Hearer-oriented function of hedges PART 3: CONCLUSION. 1 Recapitulation of main ideas of the research.
Tảmilahens of thơ siudy, 3 Suggestions for further studies. vil ABBREVIATIONS Adj Adjectives Adv. Adverbs IPM Interpersonal pragmatic markers n Mumber > Page PPM Proportional pragmatic markers of pragmatic competence of non-native speakers in communication with native ones. Scope of the research Kirst, although communication comes with paralinguistic and extra-linguistic factors, the present study is restricted 1o he verbal mode of hedging.
Thal is to say, the prosodic features (speed, tone, loudness, ete.) and the lanesic mode (facial expressions, eye contact, etc.) are outside the research scope. Adjacency pairs, in addition, are also beyond the scope of the investigation Second, though pragmatic functions of hedging in spoken discourses are believed to be realized through differen communicalive stralegies without using hedging expressions, such as saying sorry, showing regret, expressing interest, and so on, the present paper is restrained to lizyuistic realization of hedges, from which the pragmatic cffects of hedges arc expected to be portrayed. Methudology ‘The research is based on a detailed contextual analysis of conversations in the novel of Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. A comprehensive understanding of hedging devices in Gone with the Wind involves at least two levels of linguistic description: a quantitative analysis and a pragmatic analysis.
‘The process of analysis is described as follows - Quantitative analys: í The purpose oÏ quantilalive surlš c-leval analysis is Lo generalize the major forms of hedges in conversations. All the indentified items were scrutinized in their context to select those linguistic categories that express hedges. Al this point, the taxonuiny suggested by Yu (2009) was mainly employed to guide the process of identification of hedging devices in the conversalions in the novel. - Pragmatic analysis: The rescarch then employed a contextual analysis of authentic conversations at the second level of analysis to identify the purposes iv 2.1, Analysis of modal hedges.
Analysis of performative hedges. Analysis of quantilicalional hedges 2. Analysis of pragmatic-marker hedges. 5, Analysis of tag questions, subjunctives and depersonalization.
Functional analysis of hedging devices in Gone with the Wind 2.1, Speaker-oriented function of hedges. Accuracy-oriented function of hedges 23. Hearer-oriented function of hedges PART 3: CONCLUSION. 1 Recapitulation of main ideas of the research.
Tảmilahens of thơ siudy, 3 Suggestions for further studies. of pragmatic competence of non-native speakers in communication with native ones. Scope of the research Kirst, although communication comes with paralinguistic and extra-linguistic factors, the present study is restricted 1o he verbal mode of hedging. Thal is to say, the prosodic features (speed, tone, loudness, ete.) and the lanesic mode (facial expressions, eye contact, etc.) are outside the research scope.
