EXPLORING THE TYPES AND CHALLENGES OF HEDGES AND BOOSTERS IN EFL STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC WRITING
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Abstract
This study aims to explore the types based on Bal-Gezegin & Baş (2020) theory and the problems of hedges and booster devices used in the EFL students’ theses. This research applied a qualitative approach, specifically a case study, and the data analysis employed by Miles et al., (2014). The researcher used purposive sampling to determine the research. The participants were six theses and six EFL students at English Education Department of UNU Lampung who studied in 2018 and graduated in 2022. Furthermore, the researcher used a document checklist and interview to gather the data. The research found four types of hedges: modal auxiliaries, lexical verbs, hedging adverbs, and hedging phrases. There were six types of boosters, namely lexical verbs, boosting adverbs, modal auxiliaries, boosting adjectives, boosting nouns, and boosting phrases. Moreover, the problems faced by the students are the learner’s limited knowledge, improper grammar, lack of confidence, difficulty constructing phrases, insufficient experience, overuse, inadequate vocabulary, and misplaced vocabulary. the results pointed out that using hedges and boosters is crucial to help the students understand how hedges and boosters can be used for expressing claims or arguments in academic writing. In sum, this research improved the learners’ understanding of the nuances of academic communication. It highlighted the significance of students and researchers acquiring comprehensive of hedges and boosters.
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How to Cite
Merlinda, R., Hartono, H., & Masduki, M. (2025). EXPLORING THE TYPES AND CHALLENGES OF HEDGES AND BOOSTERS IN EFL STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC WRITING. English Review: Journal of English Education, 13(1), 351-362. https://doi.org/10.25134/erjee.v13i1.10531
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References
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Ardhianti, M., Susilo, J., Nurjamin, A., & Prawoto, E. C. (2023). OLLT Journal of Languages and Language Teaching HEDGES AND BOOSTERS IN STUDENT SCIENTIFIC ARTICLES WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF A PRAGMATIC METADISCOURSE. JOLLT Journal of Languages and Language Teaching, 11(4), 626. https://doi.org/10.33394/jollt.v%vi%i.9018
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Oktay, S. A. (2020). The metadiscursive aspects of advice giving: Hedging and boosting in an agony aunt’s column. Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies, 16(3), 1611–1620. https://doi.org/10.17263/jlls.803918
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Triyoko, H., Wijana, I. D. P., & Baryadi, I. P. (2021). Hedges and Boosters in Indonesian Scientific Articles. Register Journal, 14(1), 65–82. https://doi.org/10.18326/rgt.v14i1.65-82
Wang, J., & Zeng, L. (2021). Disciplinary Recognized Self-Presence: Self-Mention Used With Hedges and Boosters in PhD Students’ Research Writing. SAGE Open, 11(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440211005454
Wang, Y., & Xie, Q. (2022). Diagnostic assessment of novice EFL learners’ discourse competence in academic writing: a case study. Language Testing in Asia, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40468-022-00197-y
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Ardhianti, M., Susilo, J., Nurjamin, A., & Prawoto, E. C. (2023). OLLT Journal of Languages and Language Teaching HEDGES AND BOOSTERS IN STUDENT SCIENTIFIC ARTICLES WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF A PRAGMATIC METADISCOURSE. JOLLT Journal of Languages and Language Teaching, 11(4), 626. https://doi.org/10.33394/jollt.v%vi%i.9018
Ary, D., Jacobs, L. C., Irvin, C. K. S., & Walker, D. A. (2019). Introduction to Research in Education, 10th ed. (10th Ed). Boston: CENGAGE Learning.
Asfina, R., Kadarisman, A. E., & Astuti, U. P. (2018). Hedges used by Indonesian ELT students in written and spoken discourses. Indonesian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 7(3), 650–658. https://doi.org/10.17509/ijal.v7i3.9815
Asnas, S. A. M., Mustofa, M., & Ubaidillah, M. F. (2022). Investigating Academic Writing in EFL Contexts: Students’ Voices on Complexities and Coping Strategies. Vision: Journal for Language and Foreign Language Learning, 11(2), 139–162. https://doi.org/10.21580/vjv12i116326
Bal-Gezegin, B., & Baş, M. (2020). Metadiscourse in academic writing: A comparison of research articles and book reviews. In Eurasian Journal of Applied Linguistics (Vol. 6, Issue 1, pp. 45–62). Hacettepe University. https://doi.org/10.32601/ejal.710204
Dafouz-Milne, E. (2008). The pragmatic role of textual and interpersonal metadiscourse markers in the construction and attainment of persuasion: A cross-linguistic study of newspaper discourse. Journal of Pragmatics, 40(1), 95–113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pragma.2007.10.003
Farnia, M., & Gerami, S. (2021). Ne* comparative study of interactional metadiscourse markers in the discussion section of soft and hard science research articles: Hedges and boosters in focus *. Jordan Journal of Modern Languages and Literatures, 13(2), 263–280. https://doi.org/10.47012/jjmll.13.2.5
Forbes, R. G. (2018). Comparison of the lepetit field emission current-density calculation with the Modinos-Forbes uncertainty limits. International Vacuum Nanoelectronics Conference.
Hafner, C. A., & Wang, S. H. (2018). Hong Kong Learner Corpus of Legal Academic Writing in English: A Study of Boosters as a Marked Language Form in an English-Medium Instruction Context. TESOL Quarterly, 52(3), 680–691. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.451
Hyland, K. (2019). Metadiscourse Exploring Interaction in Writing (Second Edition). Deanta Global Publishing Services.
Kusumaningputri, R., Ningsih, T. A., & Wisasongko, W. (2018). Second Language Writing Anxiety of Indonesian EFL Students. Lingua Cultura, 12(4), 357. https://doi.org/10.21512/lc.v12i4.4268
Mifdal, M., & Lewis, M. (2023). Revisiting the use of hedges and boosters in scientific research articles in Morocco: Caution that does not exclude conviction. Cultures of Science, 6(1), 113–130. https://doi.org/10.1177/20966083231159737
Miles, M. B., Huberman, A. M., & Saldana, J. (2014). Qualitative Data Analysis A Methods Sourcebook (3th Ed). USA: SAGE Publication.
Oktay, S. A. (2020). The metadiscursive aspects of advice giving: Hedging and boosting in an agony aunt’s column. Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies, 16(3), 1611–1620. https://doi.org/10.17263/jlls.803918
Qiu, X., & Ma, X. (2019). Disciplinary enculturation and authorial stance Comparison of stance features among master’s dissertations, doctoral theses, and research articles. Iberica.
Schreier, M. (2018). Handbook of Qualitative Data Collection. SAGE.
Taymaz, N. (2021). JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE AND LINGUISTIC STUDIES A corpus-based comparison of use of hedges and boosters by Turkish ELT MA and PhD students. In Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies (Vol. 17, Issue 1). Longo. www.jlls.org
Triyoko, H., Wijana, I. D. P., & Baryadi, I. P. (2021). Hedges and Boosters in Indonesian Scientific Articles. Register Journal, 14(1), 65–82. https://doi.org/10.18326/rgt.v14i1.65-82
Wang, J., & Zeng, L. (2021). Disciplinary Recognized Self-Presence: Self-Mention Used With Hedges and Boosters in PhD Students’ Research Writing. SAGE Open, 11(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440211005454
Wang, Y., & Xie, Q. (2022). Diagnostic assessment of novice EFL learners’ discourse competence in academic writing: a case study. Language Testing in Asia, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40468-022-00197-y
Zulaiha, D., & Triana, Y. (2023). Students’ Perception toward the Use of Open Educational Resources to Improve Writing Skills. Studies in English Language and Education, 10(1), 176–196. https://doi.org/10.24815/siele.v10i1.25797