VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HA NOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST- GRADUATE STUDIES ____________ ĐINH THỊ HUYỀN TRANG A STUDY ON THE USE OF HEDGING DEVICES IN CONVERSATIONS IN THE STORY “HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER’S STONE” BY J. NGHIÊN CỨU VIỆC SỬ DỤNG PHƯƠNG TIỆN RÀO ĐÓN TRONG CÁC HỘI THOẠI TRONG TRUYỆN “HARRY POTTER VÀ HÒN ĐÁ PHÙ THỦY”CỦA J.A MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Linguistics Code: 60 22 02 01 Hanoi – 2016 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HA NOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST- GRADUATE STUDIES ____________ ĐINH THỊ HUYỀN TRANG A STUDY ON THE USE OF HEDGING DEVICES IN CONVERSATIONS IN THE STORY “HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER’S STONE” BY J. NGHIÊN CỨU VIỆC SỬ DỤNG PHƯƠNG TIỆN RÀO ĐÓN TRONG CÁC HỘI THOẠI TRONG TRUYỆN “HARRY POTTER VÀ HÒN ĐÁ PHÙ THỦY” CỦA J.A MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Linguistics Code: 60 22 02 01 Supervisor: Prof. Hoàng Văn Vân Hanoi – 2016 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com CANDIDATE’S STATEMENT I hereby certify that the thesis entitled A study on the use of hedging devices in conversations in the story “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” by J.
Rolling is the result of my own research for the Degree of Master of Arts at Vietnam National University, Hanoi University of Languages and International Studies (ULIS) and that this thesis has not been submitted for any assessment in any other formal courses of study elsewhere. Hanoi, 2016 Đinh Thi ̣Huyề n Trang i LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS In my complement of my thesis, I have received generous advice and a great deal of support from a number of people. Firstly, I would like to express my sincere thank to my supervisor. Hoàng Văn Vân for his invaluable guidance, constructive critical feedback and his generous help in the process of completing my thesis.
My special thanks also go to all my respected lecturers in the M.A course for their informative and valuable lectures and the administrative staff of the Department of Post Graduate Studies, ULIS, for their help, guidance, enthusiasm and valuable support during my course of study. Finally, I owe my deep thanks to my dear family, especially my mother, my younger sister for their love, material and spiritual support throughout this research and my friends who always stand by me with their consideration and encouragement. ii LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com ABSTRACT The research aims to investigate the use of hedge devices employed in the story Harry Potter and the Sorcerer‟s Stone by J. Rolling, being one of the most best- selling and famous story over the world.
The methods chosen for this research were quantitative and qualitative which emerged the frequency of hedging appearing in conversations by main characters and explained how they were used. To find out the answers to all research questions, the research supplies readers a foundational knowledge of hedging through literature review section. By dint of methodology section, the author can conclude the findings that modal verbs, modal lexical verbs and conditionals as well which create strong effects in conversations in the story Harry Potter and the Sorcerer‟s Stone. iii LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com TABLE OF CONTENT CANDIDATE’S STATEMENT.
III TABLE OF CONTENT .IV LIST OF TABLES. VI PART A: INTRODUCTION. Statement of the Problem and the Rationale of the Study. Significance of the study.
Aim, objectives and scope of study. Aim of study. Objectives of study. Organization of study.
5 CHAPTER 1: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND. Review on hedge. Towards understanding hedging. Hedge as a pragmatic phenomenon.
8 CHAPTER 2: THE STUDY. The data collection criteria. Data collection procedure. DATA ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION.
Modal lexical verbs. 21 iv LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail. Adjectives, adverbs and nominal modal phrases. The use of hedge devices.
37 PART C: CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS. Major findings of the research. Implications of the study. Suggestions for further studies.
I v LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com LIST OF TABLES Figure 1: The use of modal verbs as hedge devices. 17 Figure 2: The occurrence of modal verbs as hedges per 1,000 words. 17 Figure 3: Raw Data of Modal Lexical Verbs. 21 Figure 4: Modal Lexical Verbs per 1,000 words.
22 Figure 5: The use of conditionals as hedges. 24 Figure 6: Conditionals per 1,000 words. 24 Figure 7: Raw Data of Approximators. 27 Figure 8: Normalized Data Of Approximator of Degree, Indefinite Quantity, Indefinite Frequency and Time per 1,000 words.
28 Figure 9: Normalized Data of Adjectives, Nouns and Adverbs per 1,000 words. 34 Figure 10: Raw Data of Introductory Phrases. 36 Figure 11: Introductory Phrases per 1,000 words. 36 Figure 12: Concluding Data of All Hedge Devices Analyzed in the Research.
38 vi LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com PART A: INTRODUCTION This part presents rationale for the study which consists of 6 sections: (1) State the problem and the rationale of the study. (2) and (3): Clarify the significance, aims, objectives and the scope of study as well. (4): Provide the scope and limitation of study. (5): Propose the research questions.
(6): Brief organization of study. Statement of the Problem and the Rationale of the Study Literary works are considered as a device to reflect real world. Through masterpieces in each previous, the latter generations can fill in historical atmosphere, which draw a cultural picture and previous lifestyles expressed by how they communicate or their conversation ways. Although precise plays an important role in impart information speakers, sometimes, wish to imitate their utterances by the use of hedges.
There is no doubt that the definition of hedges is controversial. The concept of hedges was firstly put forward by American linguistic George Lakoff (1972: 485). In his paper, hedge was defined as “words whose job is to make things fuzzier and less fuzzy”. However, there are some scholars who favor the use of hedging in communication (e.
Drawing inxspiration from classical rhetoric, they operate on the assumption that conversations are not only content- oriented and informative but also aim at convincing and influencing their listeners. Many researchers recently have paid attention on the use of hedging in academic writing, which highlights the functions of hedges to persuading audiences. However, merely discourse writing does not reflect pragmatic functions of hedging totally because there is no interaction in this kind of text. Therefore, I investigate the use hedges in conversations in a present story – Harry Potter and the Scorer’s stone by J.
Rowling which partly devotes to research pragmatic functions in real conversations which recorded in written forms. 1 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com The study is conducted by finding out the meanings of hedge devices related to the literary works, in this case story, which presents the analysis of hedges used by the main characters in a novel namely Harry Potter and the Scorer‟s stone. Significance of the study Theoretically, due to investigating how hedges are used in the story Harry Potter and the Sorcerer‟s Stone, this can be a theoretical foundation for the latter studies hedges in other genres. The outcome of this study raises the interest and enthusiasm of other researchers to deal with the hedges articles in their own institutions, or conduct similar, follow- up and parallel studies to strengthen or prove the outcome of this present research.
Practically, by dint of finding out the use of hedges in real conversations through the story Harry Potter and the Sorcerer‟s Stone, the author hopes to draw and raise the speakers’ attention to this spoken devices which partly cements their communication skills. Aim, objectives and scope of study 3. Aim of study To soften daily conversations, we unconsciously use hedges as a speaking habit. By dint of being aware of the appearance of hedge in speaking, the author desire to explore the meanings of hedge devices used in conversations in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer‟s Stone.
Objectives of study The main objectives of this analysis aims to show that hedging is regularly used in daily conversations; especially provide in insight in types, frequency and meanings of hedges in the story Harry Potter and the Sorcerer‟s Stone. To achieve the above mentioned aims, the following objectives are acutely set for exploration: + Find out the types of hedges used in conversations in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer‟s Stone. 2 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com + Measure the frequency of hedges used in conversations in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer‟s Stone. + Explain the use of hedges device in conversations in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer‟s Stone.
4, Scope and limitation This study deals with determining the forms and functions of various hedges devices in conversations in the story Harry Potter and the Sorcerer‟s Stone. The study is used both quantitative and qualitative method through content or corpus analysis. These articles were gathered from conversations in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer‟s Stone. Research questions - What are the most common types of hedge devices in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer‟s Stone? - How often does each device occur in conversations in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer‟s Stone? - How are the hedge devices used in the story explained? 6.
Organization of study This thesis consists of three parts, namely introduction, development and conclusion. Part A is introduction which provides an overview of the study including the rationale,the aims, methods, the scope, the significance and the design of the study. Part B, Development, includes three distinguishable chapters. Chapter 1, Literature Review, reviews theoretical background on which the whole study is based concluding terminological definitions and taxonomies of hedge.
Chapter 2, Methodology, briefly presents the methodological framework of the study. It covers methods to carry the research. Chapter 3, findings and discussion, presents findings and discusses how hedge devices used in conversations in the story Harry Potter and the Sorcerer‟s Stone. 3 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com Part C, Conclusion, provides a summary of the study; summarizes significant findings in terms of types, frequency and meanings of the hedges used in the story Harry Potter and the Sorcerer‟s Stone; suggests some implications for the use of hedges; points out some limitations of the study; and states some suggestions for further studies.
4 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com PART B: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 1: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND This chapter provides the theoretical orientations of the study. It consists of three sections: (1) Review on hedge; (2) Taxonomy; (3) Related studies. Section 1 presents a review of hedge. Section 2 provides a picture of related studies, and section three presents different types of hedge.
Review on hedge 1. Towards understanding hedging According to Oxford Advanced Learner‟s Dictionary, hedge and hedging can be defined as a barrier, limit, defence, or the act, or means of protection or defense. In the literature, hedge refer terms like stancemarker (Atkinson, 1999), understatement (Hubler, 1983), downtoners (Quirk, 1985), and downgraders (House and Kasper, 1981). Other terms that some researchers employ in some allied fields to refer to hedging are mitigation (Stubbs, 1983; Labov and Fanshel, 1977), indirectedness (HIkel, 1997; Lakoff, 1990; Tannen; 1982), tentativeness (Holmes, 1983), and vagueness (Myer, 1996; Chanel, 1994).
Lakoff who was considered as the pioneer experiencing principals of hedging drew attention to the problem of relating natural phenomenon to natural language concepts. In his studies, Lakoff claims that natural language (concepts) have “vague boundaries and fuzzy edges” (1973, 458). Instead of stating: Men are animals, we add hedge “more and less” to this sentence Men are more and less animals.