"FOURTH-YEAR ENGLISH TEACHER EDUCATION STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF HEDGING FUNCTIONS AND THEIR ATTITUDES TOWARD THE USE OF HEDGING AT A UNIVERSITY IN THE MEKONG DELTA"

Abstract

"Hedging facilitates appropriate and effective communication not only in daily life but also in academic and professional contexts. This study used a descriptive approach, involving a questionnaire to investigate 73 fourth-year English Teacher Education students’ perceptions of hedging functions and their attitudes toward the use of hedging at a university in the Mekong Delta. The results revealed that the majority of students had awareness of hedging, as they believed that hedging serves both interpersonal and propositional functions, although stronger association was observed with the latter. However, there was still an inconsistency in students’ awareness of interpersonal functions. Most students reported positive attitudes toward hedging use, reflected in their acknowledgement of hedging essential role, interest, and readiness to learn and employ hedging. However, the role of hedging in academic writing were still overlooked, and hedging form selections and timing for hedging usage were considered challenging. These findings suggested the need for more explicit and consistent instruction on hedging, especially its interpersonal functions, effective use, and role in academic writing."