A multicompetence perspective of hedging in second language academic writing

Most studies on hedging in second language academic writing include data in the second language or in both the first (L1) and the second language (L2) but not data from the same participants in both their L1 and L2. Following the multicompetence framework (Cook, 2012; Cook and Li, 2016; Ortega, 2016), this paper analyses hedging in L2 writing by examining the use of hedges in a group of 24 Spanish learners of English as a L2, both in their L1 and in their L2 in order to have evidence from the learners’ total system, as well as two baseline control groups of 24 native speakers of Spanish and 24 native speakers of English. This study also investigates crosslinguistic influence and convergence in the use of hedges. Hedges were coded following Hyland’s (1994) typology. Chi-square analyses revealed differences between English and Spanish speakers. English speakers and L2 learners also showed differences in the use of hedging devices indicating impersonal expressions and lexical verbs. Findings in the Spanish native control group and Spanish learners of L2 English in their L1 Spanish showed differences in the use of adverbs and nouns. Evidence of crosslinguistic influence was found and findings showing L1-L2 similarity in the use of adverbs in the learners’ group indicated L1-L2 convergence.