Understanding Discourse Marker Use in EFL Students’ Speech: A Qualitative Follow-Up on Contributing Factors and Strategies for Minimising Their Use

Abstract

Discourse markers are common features of spontaneous spoken discourse that perform important pragmatic and communicative functions. However, their frequent use may be associated with various linguistic, cognitive, and affective factors involved in speech production. Building on a previous quantitative investigation of discourse marker use across different communicative domains (Wari, 2026), the present qualitative research constitutes a follow-up phase aimed at exploring the factors associated with discourse marker use among Moroccan EFL learners and the strategies they employ to minimise such use. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with twenty Master’s students of Applied Linguistics and analysed using thematic analysis. The findings revealed eleven factors associated with discourse marker use and eight communicative strategies reported by the participants for minimising its use. These findings provide qualitative insight into the patterns observed in the preceding quantitative phase and contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of discourse marker use in Moroccan EFL spoken discourse and its relationship to strategic competence.