Remarks on the Communicative Functions of Hedging in Popular Scientific and Specialist Research Articles on Medicine.

Varttala, Teppo

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Peer reviewed

ERIC Number: EJ577546

Record Type: Journal

Publication Date: 1999

Pages: N/A

Abstractor: N/A

ISBN: N/A

ISSN: ISSN-0889-4906

EISSN: N/A

Remarks on the Communicative Functions of Hedging in Popular Scientific and Specialist Research Articles on Medicine.

Varttala, Teppo

English for Specific Purposes, v18 n2 p177-200 1999

A study of 15 popular scientific journal articles and 15 specialist medical-research articles indicates that in medical discourse hedging, the expression of tentativeness and possibility by epistemic devices, can be applied in less specialized English- for-Special-Purposes (ESP) texts such as popular scientific articles, but in different communicative functions than in specialist discourse. Implications for ESP instruction are considered. (Author/MSE)

Descriptors: Descriptive Linguistics, Discourse Analysis, English for Special Purposes, Journal Articles, Language Patterns, Language Research, Medicine, Research Reports, Specialization, Technical Writing

Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research

Education Level: N/A

Audience: N/A

Language: English

Sponsor: N/A

Authoring Institution: N/A

Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A