Eduqas A-Level English Language: Spoken Language
Features
Discourse Markers:
Discourse markers are words or phrases that organise speech and help
the conversation flow, often indicating shifts in flow, time, and attitude.
They are usually used at the start of a clause to introduce a new idea,
structure information, connect thoughts, or transition between topics.
They can be used to manage turn-taking by showing when a speaker is
starting or ending their turn.
They support pragmatic meaning because, instead of offering literal
meaning to the utterance, they can signal speaker intention or manage
social interaction.
“Well...” → can indicate hesitation, disagreement, or softening
“You know” → can be used to seek agreement, check understanding, or
build rapport
Fillers:
Fillers are vague words, sounds, or phrases that speakers often use in
conversation to signal that they are pausing to think but are not finished
speaking.
They do not contribute to the semantic meaning of the utterance and are
often produced unconsciously in spontaneously speech.
Fillers can signal anxiety and nervousness if a speaker has not prepared
what to say next or may indicate an attempt to withhold information from
the other participant.
“Um”, “err” → these can convey hesitation and provide thinking time in
spontaneous speech.
Turn-Taking:
Turn-taking is a fundamental process in conversation where participants
alternate between speaking and listening to allow one person to speak at
a time.
An example is an adjacency pair, which consists of two linked utterances
in conversation where a specific response is expected after another
speaker’s turn.
Cooperative turn-taking involves speakers supporting each other through
backchannelling, active listening, and allowing opportunities for the other
participant to contribute to the conversation
Competitive turn-taking is when speaker attempts to steal the floor (the
right to speak) while another person is talking, signalling an attempt to
compete for conversational control and power.
Interruptions and Overlap:
Interruptions occur when one person talks over another person, ignoring
turn-taking, whereas overlap is when two speakers talk simultaneously.
Features
Discourse Markers:
Discourse markers are words or phrases that organise speech and help
the conversation flow, often indicating shifts in flow, time, and attitude.
They are usually used at the start of a clause to introduce a new idea,
structure information, connect thoughts, or transition between topics.
They can be used to manage turn-taking by showing when a speaker is
starting or ending their turn.
They support pragmatic meaning because, instead of offering literal
meaning to the utterance, they can signal speaker intention or manage
social interaction.
“Well...” → can indicate hesitation, disagreement, or softening
“You know” → can be used to seek agreement, check understanding, or
build rapport
Fillers:
Fillers are vague words, sounds, or phrases that speakers often use in
conversation to signal that they are pausing to think but are not finished
speaking.
They do not contribute to the semantic meaning of the utterance and are
often produced unconsciously in spontaneously speech.
Fillers can signal anxiety and nervousness if a speaker has not prepared
what to say next or may indicate an attempt to withhold information from
the other participant.
“Um”, “err” → these can convey hesitation and provide thinking time in
spontaneous speech.
Turn-Taking:
Turn-taking is a fundamental process in conversation where participants
alternate between speaking and listening to allow one person to speak at
a time.
An example is an adjacency pair, which consists of two linked utterances
in conversation where a specific response is expected after another
speaker’s turn.
Cooperative turn-taking involves speakers supporting each other through
backchannelling, active listening, and allowing opportunities for the other
participant to contribute to the conversation
Competitive turn-taking is when speaker attempts to steal the floor (the
right to speak) while another person is talking, signalling an attempt to
compete for conversational control and power.
Interruptions and Overlap:
Interruptions occur when one person talks over another person, ignoring
turn-taking, whereas overlap is when two speakers talk simultaneously.
