Discourse Markers in the Conversational English of Igbo Undergraduates at Enugu State University

This study analyses the discourse markers used in the conversational English of Igbo undergraduate students at Enugu State University of Science and Technology, South East Nigeria. Discourse markers are linguistic elements that signal structural, semantic, and interpersonal relationships in spoken interaction, and their use reflects both pragmatic competence and mother tongue influence. The study employs a corpus-based qualitative approach within the framework of Schiffrin's discourse marker theory. Data were collected through audio recording of thirty natural conversational exchanges between students outside formal classroom settings over a period of three weeks. The recordings were transcribed and coded for the frequency and function of discourse markers, including ideational markers, sequential markers, and interpersonal markers. Findings reveal that Igbo undergraduates show a preference for a limited set of high-frequency discourse markers and calqued equivalents drawn from Igbo, suggesting a pattern of transfer and simplification relative to Standard British English norms. The study also documents the use of innovative Igbo-English hybrid discourse markers not previously described in the literature. These findings contribute to the growing body of scholarship on Nigerian English pragmatics and recommend the explicit teaching of discourse marker usage in university communication skills courses. Keywords: discourse markers, conversational English, Igbo undergraduates, pragmatic competence, Nigerian English.