Information technology students’ metadiscourse: Boosting and
hedging in classroom argumentative debates.

J 2025

Information technology students’ metadiscourse: Boosting and hedging in classroom argumentative debates.

ELLEDEROVÁ, Eva

Základní údaje

Originální název

Information technology students’ metadiscourse: Boosting and hedging in classroom argumentative debates.

Autoři

ELLEDEROVÁ, Eva

Vydání

ESP Today, Belgrade, University of Belgrade and Serbian Association for the Study of English, 2025, 2334-9050

Další údaje

Jazyk

angličtina

Typ výsledku

Článek v odborném periodiku

Obor

60200 6.2 Languages and Literature

Stát vydavatele

Spojené státy

Utajení

není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství

Odkazy

URL

Impakt faktor

Impact factor: 2.200 v roce 2024

Označené pro přenos do RIV

Klíčová slova anglicky

IT students; classroom debates; boosters; hedges; pragmatic competence

Příznaky

Mezinárodní význam, Recenzováno

Změněno: 5. 4. 2025 10:57, Mgr. Ing. Eva Ellederová, Ph.D.

Anotace

V originále

Despite many empirical studies focusing on English as a second language (L2) learners’ use of different metadiscourse markers in general academic English contexts, a systematic analysis of co-existing discourse strategies of boosting and hedging that contribute substantially to the dynamic flow of conversation in English for specific purposes (ESP) contexts is still missing. Understanding how ESP learners use boosters and hedges in conversation might provide valuable insights into their pragmatic competence. Therefore, this study scrutinizes the functions of boosters and hedges employed by information technology (IT) students in classroom argumentative debates related in content to their discipline. Boosters and hedges were identified and analysed using Sketch Engine. A total of 34 IT students participated in 8 debates in the course English for IT at Brno University of Technology. The whole corpus of the transcribed debates includes 20,052 tokens and 17,016 words. The research results revealed that while boosters were used by IT students to enhance persuasive communication, express stance, and share professional knowledge within their discourse community, hedges were employed to acknowledge the potential gaps in their understanding of the ever-changing nature of IT and mitigate face-threatening acts performed when asserting and rebutting in the debates.

Citovat

ELLEDEROVÁ, Eva. Information technology students’ metadiscourse: Boosting and hedging in classroom argumentative debates. ESP Today. Belgrade: University of Belgrade and Serbian Association for the Study of English, 2025, roč. 13, č. 1, s. 134-155. ISSN 2334-9050. Dostupné z: https://doi.org/10.18485/esptoday.2025.13.1.7.

@article{2489038,
   author = {Ellederová, Eva},
   article_location = {Belgrade},
   article_number = {1},
   doi = {https://doi.org/10.18485/esptoday.2025.13.1.7},
   keywords = {IT students; classroom debates; boosters; hedges; pragmatic competence},
   language = {eng},
   issn = {2334-9050},
   journal = {ESP Today},
   title = {Information technology students’ metadiscourse: Boosting and hedging in classroom argumentative debates.},
   url = {https://doi.org/10.18485/esptoday.2025.13.1.7},
   volume = {13},
   year = {2025}
}

TY  - JOUR
ID  - 2489038
AU  - Ellederová, Eva
PY  - 2025
TI  - Information technology students’ metadiscourse: Boosting and hedging in classroom argumentative debates.
JF  - ESP Today
VL  - 13
IS  - 1
SP  - 134-155
EP  - 134-155
PB  - University of Belgrade and Serbian Association for the Study of English
SN  - 23349050
KW  - IT students
KW  - classroom debates
KW  - boosters
KW  - hedges
KW  - pragmatic competence
UR  - https://doi.org/10.18485/esptoday.2025.13.1.7
N2  - Despite many empirical studies focusing on English as a second language (L2) learners’ use of different metadiscourse markers in general academic English contexts, a systematic analysis of co-existing discourse strategies of boosting and hedging that contribute substantially to the dynamic flow of conversation in English for specific purposes (ESP) contexts is still missing. Understanding how ESP learners use boosters and hedges in conversation might provide valuable insights into their pragmatic competence. Therefore, this study scrutinizes the functions of boosters and hedges employed by information technology (IT) students in classroom argumentative debates related in content to their discipline. Boosters and hedges were identified and analysed using Sketch Engine. A total of 34 IT students participated in 8 debates in the course English for IT at Brno University of Technology. The whole corpus of the transcribed debates includes 20,052 tokens and 17,016 words. The research results revealed that while boosters were used by IT students to enhance persuasive communication, express stance, and share professional knowledge within their discourse community, hedges were employed to acknowledge the potential gaps in their understanding of the ever-changing nature of IT and mitigate face-threatening acts performed when asserting and rebutting in the debates.
ER  -

ELLEDEROVÁ, Eva. Information technology students’ metadiscourse: Boosting and hedging in classroom argumentative debates. \textit{ESP Today}. Belgrade: University of Belgrade and Serbian Association for the Study of English, 2025, roč.~13, č.~1, s.~134-155. ISSN~2334-9050. Dostupné z: https://doi.org/10.18485/esptoday.2025.13.1.7.

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