| This paper examines the linguistic differences in the way that American and Japanese speakers of English formulate epistemic stance in a monologue descriptive task. The participants described two photographs containing ambiguous content, and the epistemic devices were identified and analyzed, both qualitatively and quantitatively. Epistemic devices which are analyzed are used on the lexical, syntactic, and pragmatic levels.;The results of the data indicate that even after years of language training on the part of Japanese speakers of English, large differences exist in the way that native English speakers and Japanese speakers of English linguistically demonstrate epistemic stance. This fact has implications for the ESL classroom, where a greater understanding of the cultural and linguistic factors that contribute to an individual's linguistic identity with regard to epistemic stance is needed. |
