A Study Of Hedges In English Business News Discourses From The Perspective Of Communicative Action Theory

In the theory of communicative action,the validity of communicative action is mediated by the validity of speech acts.Lifeworld,as the background of communicative subjects’ communicative action,is also the background of speech acts,and the source of verbal communication and subsequent mutual understanding between communicative s ubjects.Based on the lifeworld theory under the theory of communicative action,it explores the reasons why valid communication can be achieved in business news discourse.Hedges,as an important means to implement linguistic strategies,can help speech acts fulfill the universal validity claims and realize valid communication.Based on the definition of hedges by Lakoff(1972)and the classification of hedges by Hyland(1998)and Varttala(2001),this paper makes a quantitative and qualitative analysis of hedges in English business news discourses,aiming to answer the following questions:(1)What are the frequencies of various hedges in English business news discourses?(2)In light of communicative action theory,why are there hedges in English business ne ws?(3)In the process of action of the communicative subjects,how do hedges fulfill universal validity claims,and then achieve valid communication?In order to ensure the objectivity and accuracy of the research,a self-built corpus of 100 English business news discourses is collected.The corpus is selected from the business section of http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/(China Daily Network),which covers various topics including company,finance,macro,etc.in a balanced manner,providing wealth contexts for researches on hedges.In this study,Antconc 3.2.1.W was used in combination with context analysis to conduct statistical analysis on the frequency and distribution of hedges in the selected corpus,so as to prepare for the subsequent analysis based on Habermas’ lifeworld theory and universal validity claims.The results show that hedges are frequently used in English business news discourses.Among them,the number of writer-oriented hedges is the largest,followed by accuracy-oriented hedges,and the frequency of reader-oriented hedges is relatively small.According to Habermas’ lifeworld theory,from the perspective of cultural elements,the use of hedges in English business news discourses is influenced by traditional values and concepts such as seek ing truth from facts,speaking and acting cautiously,and collectivism.From the perspective of social elements,hedges can help to ensure the friendly relationship between the writer and the reader,maintain social stability and build a harmonious society.Based on the element of personality,the study considers from the angle of both the writer and the reader in the discourse,and finds that the writer’s use of hedges in the discourse can effectively strengthen the personal identity of both writer and rea der,and construct social roles.In addition,in English business news discourses,hedges help to fulfill claims of universal validity and achieve valid communication.By using accuracy-oriented hedges,the proposition can be more accurate,the content can be more consistent with the objective fact and the truthfulness claim can be met.Through the use of writer-oriented hedges,the objectivity,accuracy and timeliness of the discourse are guaranteed to meet the correctness claim.Through the use of reader-oriented hedges,the writer sincerely expresses his true intention in order to win the understanding and recognition of the readers and meet the sincerity claim.The research broadens the scope of application of communicative action theory,provides a new theoretical perspective for the study of hedges,and has certain theoretical significance.At the same time,the research also has practical significance.It has certain guiding significance for English business news discourse writing,reading,teaching,a nd daily communication and cultural exchanges.