The multifunctional use of discourse markers in an ESL classroom: An empirical study of ‘Okay,’ ‘Oh,’ ‘Well,’ and ‘So’

Abstract

This paper investigates the use of the discourse markers "okay," "oh," "well," and "so" in ESL classrooms in the Mion District of Education, Ghana. These markers play a crucial role in guiding communication, structuring discourse, and influencing both student engagement and instructional practices. A mixed methods approach was adopted, analyzing a corpus of over 50,000 words derived from recordings and transcriptions of classroom interactions across various sessions. The data were analyzed using SPSS for quantitative analysis and thematic analysis. The findings revealed the multifunctional nature of each marker: "okay" acts as both a transition activator and a feedback mechanism, "oh" is used to express surprise and emotional responses, and "well" serves as a versatile discourse marker that primarily manages turn-taking, alleviates potentially uncooperative situations, and signals uncertainty or insufficiency. Additionally, the marker "so" was found to fulfill multiple functions, including summarizing, transitioning between topics, sequencing events and ideas, emphasizing and reinforcing points, and indicating what will be discussed next. These insights emphasize the importance of discourse markers in shaping classroom communication and the overall learning experience in ESL contexts.