The Use of Discourse Markers in Non-Native Speaker Speech: A Case from Vietnam

Using discourse markers brings various benefits for speakers in communication. The current study investigated the use of discourse markers by Vietnamese EFL students at an English center. The study aims to explore the use of DMs by Vietnamese EFL learners and investigates their perceptions of DMs in conversations. This study employed both quantitative and qualitative methods, utilizing audio recordings, questionnaires, and interviews to collect data. It involved one hundred twenty-five Vietnamese EFL students and five teachers as participants. The findings reveal that students use some discourse markers more frequently than others. The referential discourse markers prevail in participants’ responses, while using structural discourse markers is almost negligible. The results also indicate that students are practically aware of the importance and functions of discourse markers; however, they are not quite familiar with the different types of these devices. The teachers also recognized the importance of discourse markers for students’ language competence development, but considered their use less effective. This study makes a significant contribution to English teaching and learning in EFL contexts in Vietnam. The research suggests that teachers should raise students’ awareness of the benefits of discourse markers in oral communication. This study also recommends various strategies for teachers to improve students’ fluency and develop their pragmatic competence through using discourse markers in communication.