A multicompetence perspective of hedging in second language academic writing

Resumen

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.