Enhancing Socio-pragmatic Competence through Storytelling: exploring Discourse Markers in ESL College Learners’ Oral Narratives

This study, addressing gaps highlighted by Lucarevschi (2016), investigates learners’ oral narratives and the role of discourse markers (DMs) in enhancing grammatical and socio-pragmatic competence in English as a Second Language (ESL) . The research analyses a corpus of 36 narratives produced by upper-intermediate college learners. Participants were asked to narrate a weird event that happened to them. Then they were instructed on traits of spoken English (DMs included) and the phases of oral narratives (Labov and Waletzky 1967). Lastly, they were asked to re-narrate their stories. A mixed-methods analysis of DM occurrences was used, employing González’s (2004) taxonomy. Results show a statistically significant increase in the use of specific DMs after instruction (so, you know) and a gradual acquisition of informal conversational features. Comparison with native speakers’ narratives (González 2004) reveals learners’ alignment in DM range and pragmatic functions but differences in overall frequency and use, as the overreliance on so and and seem to suggest. The findings challenge the perception of DMs as language elements which do not need to be taught and advocate for their explicit inclusion in higher education ESL instruction to enhance coherence and socio-pragmatic competence. Limitations are acknowledged, especially in the monologic focus used. Further research on DM use in ESL conversational narrative contexts is suggested.