Hedges in mathematics talk: Linguistic pointers to uncertainty

Analysis of transcripts of interviews with children aged 10 to 12, focused on a mathematical task designed to provoke prediction and generalisation, reveals a category of words (called hedges) associated with uncertainty. It is argued that these words — examples includeabout, around, maybe, think — are frequently deployed as a ‘Shield’ against accusation of error. The analysis draws on linguistic frameworks for categorising types of hedge, and for a theoretical account of how they might succeed in conveying uncertainty to listeners.

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