Discourse Markers: Sound Fluent & Natural in English Conversations

Well hey there, I'm Emma from mmmEnglish!

And today you are going to learn how to use discourse markers

for advanced fluency in English conversation.

These are all words that you already know for sure

but you may not know how they're used to direct the flow of

a conversation.

They help you to sound so much more natural and

fluent when you speak.

Native English speakers use these words in so many ways

in a conversation and they come up really frequently.  

Two to three times a minute in natural speech.

So learning more about them and how they're used is an

essential fluency tool.

Are you ready to find out more?

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So what are discourse markers?

Good question!

They're really handy.

We use them to direct the flow of a conversation

or to navigate a conversation smoothly and easily.

They kind of work

like little signposts

helping the other person to anticipate what you're gonna say

or to guide them

about what's gonna happen next in the discussion.

And discourse markers are

probably words that you already know

like so,

right

and okay

but when they're used in this way, their meaning is different

from the one that you'll find in a dictionary

which makes them a little tricky.

In fact, some of these words can be used to direct

a conversation in multiple ways

like right.

Right I better get going.

Here I use right to introduce a new part of the conversation,

the end.

You know Geoff, right?

Here I used it to confirm shared knowledge,

knowledge that I have and the person I'm talking to has.

So I was waiting for him outside the cinema which is

what we agreed.

Right.

But then I checked Instagram and I saw a picture

that Millie posted and he was with her in Northbridge!

And here it's used as an interjection to show the speaker

that you're listening and that they should continue speaking.

And in all of these examples, the word right doesn't really mean

anything but it does play a really important role in directing

the conversation, the flow of the conversation. It's a signpost.

And if you want to speak English naturally and fluently,

try to use these signposts a little more when you speak.

Let's take a closer look at these discourse markers together.

Words like these are all used to transition between different

parts of a conversation.

They all indicate the start,

the beginning of a new part of a conversation

and they also help you to switch between topics.

Hey, it's Emma! How's it going?

Hey Emma, not bad.

How are you?

I'm good, busy but good.

So I need your advice.

So helps to make the transition between small talk

and asking for advice.

It makes that transition really smooth and easy

So, I've got a question for you...

So, I was wondering...

Because discourse markers indicate a shift or a transition,

we can also use them to signal the end of our conversation

as well which is really handy.

Well, I'd better let you go.

I'm sure you've got a million things to do.

You could use anyway here as well.

It plays exactly the same role.

Anyway, I'd better get going.

Using well or anyway ensures a really soft transition

away from the conversation and announcing it's gonna end.

So it's not an abrupt end, it's a smooth transition

which is what we want.

An important part of great natural conversation in English

is showing that you are actively listening

throughout the conversation

and that you're interested in what the other person is saying.

So you can do it by nodding and smiling

and showing them that you're listening

but you can also interject with little words or little sounds like

uh-huh,

right,

yeah,

really.

Doing this shows that you are listening and it encourages

the other person to continue speaking

which is really nice.

That's a really nice thing to do in a conversation.

I've been planning this camping trip with our family.

Uh-huh.

We've been planning it for months.

Right.

We're supposed to meet in Sydney.

Yeah.

But there's been all this crazy flooding on the coast.

Really?

It's also nice to involve the other person in the conversation

especially if you're explaining something or maybe you're

telling a really long story.

These are really useful tools to help you

include the other person in what's going on. Little tags like

you know?

and right?

They're a really great way to involve the other person without

actually finishing your sentence or stopping your story.

In fact, you hear me using right? as a tag

all the way through my lessons all the time.

It's a habit that I have. Right?

You remember our trip to Joanna, right?

it was torrential rain for three days straight.

But I don't really want to cancel because we put so much time

into it already, you know?

What do you think I should do?

We also use them to check that something is true

but in particular when we assume that the other person

already knows what we're talking about.

So when you assume that they agree with what you're saying.

Wait is a really helpful one to use especially when you want

to pause the conversation for a minute

but not like because you need more time to think.

Instead it's used to clarify or to confirm some of the information

that was just said to you.

I'm good.

You remember I had a job interview, right?

Well, they offered me the job.

Wait, are you talking about the job in Melbourne?

This use of wait actually comes from the expression

"wait a minute" or "wait a moment".

It's a shortened version of that phrase.

If you want to slow down the conversation a little

then you can use I mean.

What do you think I should do?

I mean, it doesn't sound like it's going to be a great holiday.

Maybe you should just cut your losses.

Starting a sentence with I mean can create a little bit of

extra time for you to think.

In particular, when you're not sure how to respond or

you need some extra time.

You can pause or create a little bit of extra time

with I mean. It doesn't mean anything, it's just there to create

space for you.

But it's also a way of signalling when you're about to give an

honest opinion.

One that might not be exactly what the other person

wants to hear.

Hey, why don't we go camping?

I mean, we could go camping

but I'd rather go to the beach.

You just learned five different ways to use discourse markers

to control and manage your English conversations.

How awesome is that?

Remember that these are advanced speaking skills

so if you don't feel ready to use them yourself when you speak

then start by listening out for them in movies and TV shows

where you get to listen to native English speakers

using these discourse markers all the time.

Now that you know about them I'm sure you'll hear them

in native English conversations all the time.

In fact, why don't you listen to the complete conversation

I had with Shah over the phone and you'll get to hear how that

whole conversation flows and transitions from the start

through the middle to the end.

Hey, it's Emma. How's it going?

Hey Emma. Not bad, how are you?

I'm good, busy but good.

So I need your advice.

I've been planning this camping trip with our family.

Uh-huh.

We've been planning it for months.

Right.

We're supposed to meet in Sydney.

Yeah.

But there's been all this crazy flooding on the coast.

Really?

You remember our trip to Joanna, right?

It was torrential rain for three days straight.

But I don't really want to cancel because we've put so much

work into it already, you know?

What do you think I should do?

I mean, it doesn't sound like it's going to be a great holiday.

Maybe you should just cut your losses.

Maybe you're right.

Anyway, tell me about you.

I'm good. You remember I had that job interview, right?

Yeah, well they offered me the job.

Wait, are you talking about the job in Melbourne?

Yeah, the one in Melbourne.

I start next month which is like really soon.

Oh my god! Congratulations!

So you're moving! That's so exciting!

Isn't it?

Well, I'd better let you go.

I'm sure you've got a million things to do.

Thanks again!

Okay, bye.

Now that you've learned how to use these extremely common

English words in some new and exciting ways,

I want you to do two things.

The first is listen to native English speakers in

casual conversation,

TV series, a movie or a conversational podcast

would be perfect for this.

Now that you know how to recognise these discourse markers,

I'm sure you'll start hearing them more.

The second is

try using one or two of them yourself.

Maybe use wait

to check information in a conversation

or use anyway to announce that you're ending

the conversation and smoothly transition out of it.

Try them out, get more comfortable using them.

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Thank you for being here. Thank you for watching.

I hope that you enjoyed it.

See you in the next lesson!