Improving English Majors’ Speaking Through Discourse Marker Instruction: A Case Study at a Vietnamese University
Abstract
The current study was conducted at a university in Vietnam to investigate the effects of discourse marker instruction on the speaking performance of second-year English majors. Specifically, it examined changes in the frequency of discourse marker use, overall speaking ability, functional appropriateness in the use of discourse markers, and students’ perceptions of learning about discourse markers. The study employed a mixed-methods design involving both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Eighty second-year English-major students participated in the study and were divided into two groups: an experimental group of 40 students who received function-based discourse marker instruction over a period of five weeks, and a control group of 40 students who were taught using traditional methods. Data were collected through pre-tests administered before the intervention, post-tests conducted after the intervention, an eight-item questionnaire on students’ perceptions of learning discourse markers, and semi-structured interviews consisting of three questions for the experimental group. The findings revealed that the experimental group, which received explicit instruction on discourse markers, showed significant improvement in overall speaking ability compared to the control group, with the mean score rising from 5.78 (SD = 0.96) in the pre-test to 6.85 (SD = 0.99) in the post-test. In addition, the frequency of discourse marker use in spoken communication increased considerably after the instruction. Most students also reported positive perceptions of the instruction, particularly regarding improvements in fluency, coherence, and speaking confidence, as reflected in the questionnaire and interview data. The study suggests that explicit, function-based instruction in discourse markers is an effective pedagogical approach to improving EFL learners’ speaking ability and should be systematically integrated into speaking courses.