Speaker
Description
This study investigates the use of hedging strategies in English-language natural disaster news reports published by Vietnam News during the 2024–2025 period. The objective of the research is to identify the specific linguistic forms used as hedging devices and to analyze their pragmatic functions by comparing how these strategies shift across different chronological phases of a disaster. Based on Hyland’s (1998) polypragmatic framework, the study employs a mixed methods approach to analyze a specialized corpus of 15 articles. Specifically, quantitative methods are used to determine the frequency and distribution of hedging devices, while a qualitative descriptive design is applied to contextually interpret their pragmatic functions. The findings reveal that hedging devices are predominantly realized through lexical elements, specifically epistemic adverbs and verbs, as well as non-lexical structures such as abstract rhetors, with each grammatical choice contributing to distinct mitigation effects. The analysis also indicates that journalists strategically alternate between Content-oriented hedges to manage statistical accuracy and forecast uncertainty, and Reader-oriented strategies to maintain institutional credibility. This research contributes to clarifying how language, particularly epistemic hedging strategies, functions as an essential risk-management tool in crisis journalism, while offering practical implications for the fields of linguistics, translation, and media education.
Biography
Ha Thi Khanh Linh is a dedicated final-year undergraduate student majoring in English Language and Linguistics at Hanoi Pedagogical University 2. With a profound passion for understanding the intricacies of language use in real-world contexts, she has cultivated a strong foundation in both theoretical and applied linguistics. Her primary research interests reside within the domain of linguistic pragmatics, with a specialized focus on discourse analysis, epistemic modality, and the strategic application of hedging devices in journalistic texts.
Her current research critically examines the utilization of hedging strategies in reporting natural disasters within Vietnamese English-language news media. Through this pilot study, she investigates how journalists navigate degrees of certainty, maintain objectivity, and manage risk in crisis communication. Her academic endeavors reflect a keen analytical mindset and a deep understanding of how language shapes public perception and information dissemination during critical events. By participating in the VietTESOL International Convention, she looks forward to sharing her research findings on media discourse, engaging with esteemed scholars, and contributing to the vibrant dialogue within the applied linguistics community.
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