THE ROLE OF DISCOURSE MARKERS IN MAINTAINING COHERENCE IN SPOKEN ENGLISH

Abstract

This article examines the role of discourse markers in maintaining coherence in spoken English. Discourse markers are important linguistic elements that help speakers organize their ideas, connect utterances, express relationships between ideas, and make communication more understandable and natural. The study focuses on common discourse markers such as well, so, however, therefore, actually, I mean, and you know, and explores their functions in spoken interaction. Particular attention is given to how these markers contribute to the logical flow of speech, clarify relationships between ideas, and support effective communication. The study also highlights the importance of teaching discourse markers to English language learners in order to improve their speaking fluency, coherence, and communicative competence.