language learning/ teaching: reading (Figueiredo-Silva
2001), speaking (Low 1996) and writing (Hyland 1995).
The present research has evolved at the crossroads of
several intersecting lines: interest in hedging as a
discoursal, socio-pragmatic phenomenon, as it is reflected
in L2 English writing and cross-linguistic and crosscultural
aspects of hedging. More specifically, the present
research addresses the Lexical Invisibility Hypothesis
(LIH). The LIH claims that in the text intensifiers are
‘invisible’ whereas hedges are even more ‘invisible’ (Low
1996; Hyland 2000). Experiments launched with the aim of
measuring the ‘invisibility’ of textual modifiers in L2
readers resulted in confirming the initial hypothesis (ibid.).
Interestingly, Low’s (1996) study focused on the language
of questionnaires intended for native speakers of English,
students in various fields ranging from engineering to
history to English. Hyland (2000) confirmed the LIH for
academic reading involving L2 learners of English.
In actual communication, either written or spoken, it seems
quite natural to foreground the propositional content and
background the (meta)discoursal elements, like hedging,
which help render ‘shades of meaning’ and interpersonal
politeness. Also, if Low’s (1996) investigation confirms
the LIH for reading, a receptive skill, dismissing the
interpersonal layer of the text seems to be even more likely
in language production, like writing. However, the above
findings seem quite contradictory in respect to language
proficiency level; they contrast with the findings of other
researchers, for example, Wishnoff (2000) and Lewin
(2005). Both researchers studied non-native advanced
speakers; however, Lewin (2005) focused more on reading,
whereas Wishnoff (2000) was interested in writing. In both
cases students were of sufficiently high language
proficiency level to be able to understand and produce both
propositional content and (meta)discoursal elements of the
academic text. Thus both researchers at the end of their
investigation concluded that L2 students were very
conscious of hedges in reading or writing scientific texts.