Maybe I Like It Here: Pragmatic Functions of Hedging in Indirect Refusals in Teenage Informal Discourse

Abstract

This study examines the pragmatic functions of hedging in indirect refusal strategies within teenage informal discourse represented in a contemporary high school-themed film. Refushals potentially create interpersonal discomfort, and speakers often soften their response to reduce tension through linguistic mitigation. One of this mitigation devices is hedging, which allows speakers to express uncertainty and soften the force of disagreement or rejection. Using a descriptive qualitative method, this study analyzes six dialogues containing refusal-related interactions between teenage characters. The data were identified and classified according to types of hedging expressions and their pragmatic roles in the refusal context. The findings show that hedging functions to defuse disagreement, express epistemic uncertainty, negotiate interpersonal decisions, and soften the force of refusals. These functions show how hedging contributes to maintaining interpersonal harmony in informal interaction