JoLIE 5/2012
AN INVESTIGATION OF DISCOURSE MARKERS IN ENGLISH
Fatemeh Zarei
Shiraz University, Iran
Abstract
This study examines what discourse markers (DM) and their characteristics are in English. It describes the range of uses of English discourse markers in conversations included in Interchange books. It also determined the most frequently used discourse markers. It was found that “oh” and “well” were the most frequently used discourse markers in the conversations, and then the functions of them were explored to find the reason why the spoken discourse of the speakers was replete with forms such as “oh” and “well”. The study implies that there is a need to make learners aware of these markers and their pragmatic functions. Teachers’ use of discourse markers as a model for students is also really crucial in teaching language in classroom settings.
Key words: Discourse markers; DM characteristics; Pragmatic functions of DM.
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How to cite this article: Zarei, F. (2012). An investigation of discourse markers in English. Journal of Linguistic and Intercultural Education – JoLIE, 5, 191-210. DOI: https://doi.org/10.29302/jolie.2012.5.10
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