A Study Of Hedges Employed In Classroom Discourse From The Pragmatic Perspective

Hedges have various pragmatic functions, through the proper use of which languageexpressions can become more accurate, objective and polite. In the meantime, by usinghedges properly language users can avoid expressing too absolutely and enhance theacceptability of language.Theoretically, studying hedges can broaden the research scope of hedges and beconducive to the development of pragmatics. However, at present the study of hedgesinvolves science text, economic, and advertisement discourses, and news writing, etc. Fewscholars conducted researches on hedges employed in classroom discourse. Therefore, it isof great value to study hedges employed in classroom discourse. Practically, as hedges playan important role in communication, probing into hedges employed in classroom discoursewill help teachers and students further understand the functions of hedges and use themappropriately.The present thesis is an empirical study whose data are gathered from classroomrecording. From the pragmatic perspective, the present thesis carries on a comparativelycomprehensive study on the application of hedges in classroom discourses. It puts forwardthe following questions:1. What is the general picture of hedges employed in classroomdiscourse?2. What are the possible causes underlying the use of hedges in classroomdiscourse?3. What pragmatic functions do hedges have in classroom discourse? Aroundthese questions, the thesis presents a general situation of hedges applied in classroomdiscourses, gives explanations to the reasons of their use, analyzes in details hedgesapplied in classroom discourse with cooperative and politeness principles, probes theirpragmatic functions in the hope of deepening and furthering the research of hedges, anddraws people’s attention to hedges applied in classroom communication.It is found that a lot of hedges appear in classroom communication with adaptors andplausibility shields more frequently than attribution shields and rounders. While teachershave good command of different types of hedges and favor to use adaptors and plausibilityshields, the hedges grasped and employed by students are relatively limited. Observing thequality maxim, teachers and students may violate the manner maxim or the quantity maxim,but few of them violate the relation maxim. Teachers and students often resort toimpersonal expressions or citing other people’s opinion so as to protect themselves if what they said is not correct. It can be seen that the appropriate use of hedges in classroomdiscourses will make utterances more decorous and polite, create favorable environments,and achieve satisfactory teaching results.