Abstract:
Aims at collecting discourse markers in casual conversations and at studying their functions in discourse, using the framework presented by Deborah Schiffrin (1987). The data used consist of 11 casual conversations, totalling 60 minutes and 20 seconds. The analysis reveals 61 discourse markers, each with one or many variant. These markers can be classified into 5 groups according to their primary function on the five different planes in discourse; namely, the ideational structure, the exchange structure, the action structure, the participation framework, and the information state. There are 21 discourse markers with primary function on the ideational structure. There are 3 discourse markers with primary function on the exchange structure. There are 10 discourse markers with primary function on the action structure. There are 24 discourse markers with primary function on the participation framework. There are 3 discourse markers with primary function on the information state. Most of these discourse markers also have secondary functions on other planes of discourse. Discourse markers on these five different planes show that there is a system of discourse markers to be used in casual conversation.