What is it about?
Discourse markers play an important role in spoken communication: they help speakers connect ideas, structure their discourse, and guide listeners through what they are saying. This study investigates the relationship between learners’ use of discourse markers and their L2 spoken ability across a wide range of proficiency levels. It examines discourse marker use in terms of frequency, diversity, and sophistication, and considers this relationship using both standardized test scores and expert ratings of spoken performance.
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Why is it important?
The findings show that the quality of discourse marker use—particularly its diversity and sophistication—is associated with L2 spoken ability, while frequency of use alone is not a reliable indicator of proficiency. This offers a more detailed understanding of how discourse competence develops and why it matters in speaking. It can inform language teaching by encouraging learners to develop a broader repertoire of discourse markers, and it has implications for how spoken ability is assessed, including in AI-assisted assessment.
Perspectives
As a researcher and language teacher, I am particularly interested in how learners develop the ability to connect ideas and express themselves in more nuanced ways. For me, this publication highlights the importance of giving discourse competence greater attention in both teaching and assessment. I hope it encourages readers to consider how learners’ choices of discourse markers contribute to a fuller understanding of their spoken ability.
Elina Maragianni
Alfaisal University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: The relationship between use of discourse markers and L2 spoken ability across proficiency
levels, Applied Pragmatics, May 2026, John Benjamins,
DOI: 10.1075/ap.24022.mar.
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