The Effect of Instruction on Hedging on Japanese L2 English Learners’ Perceived Ability to Express Opinions

This study investigates Japanese L2 English learners’ perceived ability to express their opinions and oppose the opinions of others. Specifically, the study investigates the effect of an activity that teaches about hedge use on learners’ perceptions. The aims of the study are pursued by creating 15-week online discussion forums for pairs of learners to discuss controversial topics with one another. The study measures learners’ perceived ability to express and oppose opinions via a sixpoint questionnaire before starting the discussion forum, before the teaching activity, after the teaching activity, and at the end of the discussion forum. The participants are 80 first-year students who are enrolled at a middle-ranking Japanese university. They are from three classes, consisting of 61 females and 19 males in total. The investigations find that participants perceive an improvement in their ability to express and oppose opinions after receiving instruction on hedge use. The study concludes that EFL instructors may employ activities on hedge use to improve students’ confidence in their discussion skills.