Foreign Languages College, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, China
Email: 2595264132@qq.com (W.K.); siqingle@shnu.edu.cn (L.S.)
*Corresponding author
Manuscript received March 21, 2024; revised April 15, 2024; accepted May 3, 2024; published June 25, 2024
Abstract—Discourse markers have multiple pragmatic
functions and have significant influences on classroom
organization and teaching. This study aims to analyze the
pragmatic functions of discourse marker so in a self-built
corpus of Chinese middle school English classroom discourse.
The corpus analysis shows that discourse marker so has
various pragmatic functions, including marking results and
inferences, managing topics, summarizing, rewording and
giving examples at the textual level. Besides, at the
interactional level, so functions as a marker of speech acts such
as questions, requests, opinions, elicitations and confirmations.
The research shows that discourse marker so can make
classroom discourse more closely linked, promote students’
understanding of teacher’s discourse and create a harmonious
classroom atmosphere. The findings of this research might
have important implications for English teaching and teachers’
professional development in middle schools.
Keywords—Chinese middle school English class, discourse
marker, so, pragmatic functions
[PDF]
Cite: Wei Kexin and Li Siqing, "The Pragmatic Functions of High-Frequency Discourse Marker So in Chinese EFL Teacher Talk," International Journal of Languages, Literature and Linguistics, vol. 10, no. 3, pp. 323-325, 2024.