Research Review on Discourse Markers

Abstract

As an important component of the speech system, the status of discourse markers in language research can't be ignored. Due to different research perspectives, scholars from various countries have not yet reached a unified consensus on the definition, characteristic, function, and classification of discourse markers. At present, there are three main theoretical frameworks for studying discourse markers: coherence theory, relevance theory and adaptation theory. The research on discourse markers in China didn't flourish until the 21st century. There is still a lot of room for further research in this field. For example, the localization of research theory, the multi-dimensional research perspective, and the interdisciplinary research content are gradually attracting the attention of scholars.