Pragmatic Markers in Spoken Discourse

Abstract

The roles, functions, and effects of pragmatic markers (PMs) in spoken discourse are explored in this study, with a focus on how language learners’ comprehension skills, classification and interpretation abilities, and interactions between verbal and non-verbal PMs are affected. A combination of quantitative and qualitative procedures was employed in this investigation. To evaluate how well PMs in spoken discourse were identified and understood, level 4, English Language Unit, Preparatory Studies Centre fifty participants from the University of Technology and Applied Sciences, Salalah, the Sultanate of Oman completed fifteen quick audio samples with a range of pragmatic characteristics, five additional filler audio segments, and pre-and post-test questionnaires. The study discovered that learners' comprehension of PMs—which regulate discourse structure, convey speaker purpose, and manage conversation flow—improved dramatically with targeted instruction. It emphasized the significance of PMs in the development of communication skills as well as the problems with categorizing PMs due to a lack of a standardized framework.