<p>This investigation examined the
functions of two Spanish discourse markers, <i>pues</i>
and <i>bueno</i>, in the interlanguage of intermediate English-speaking
learners of Spanish. <i>Pues</i> is translated in English to ‘so’, ‘then’, ‘cos’,
and ‘well’, and <i>bueno</i> is translated in English to ‘well’ and ‘alright’.
Discourse markers like <i>pues</i> and
<i>bueno </i>provide cohesion in spoken interaction, and despite the
lack of attention received in second language research and classrooms, they are
important linguistic features for second language users. While several studies
have addressed discourse markers by non-native speakers, the present
investigation contributed to the scarce body of research on interlanguage
discourse marker use in Spanish and to general theoretical discussions about
second language discourse marker use and acquisition by considering discourse
marker frequency in input and describing the use of <i>pues</i> and <i>bueno</i>
in the interlanguage of Spanish learners. In this investigation, frequency of
use, functional range, and functional distribution were analyzed as three
distinct facets of discourse marker proficiency.</p>
<p>Using a native speaker functional
framework established by Travis (2005) for reference, the analyses responded to
the following general questions: How do Spanish learners compare to native
speakers of Peninsular Spanish in their frequency of use, functional range, and
functional distribution of <i>pues</i> and <i>bueno</i>? How are these three
variables among learners affected by a 6-week, language immersion study abroad
program? Finally, how do native speakers of Peninsular Spanish and second
language learners of Spanish compare in their characteristic patterns of <i>pues</i>
and <i>bueno</i> functional use? Using oral interviews of 58 non-native (L2)
Spanish speakers at the beginning and end of a program abroad and 14 native
speakers (NS) of Spanish from Madrid, all tokens of <i>pues</i> (<i>N</i> = 506) and <i>bueno</i> (<i>N</i> = 273) were
analyzed according to the functional framework (Travis, 2005). Analyses
revealed infrequent L2 use of <i>pues </i>and <i>bueno</i> with a limited range of functions and distinct
functional distribution compared to NS data. Over the program abroad, learners
significantly increased their functional range of <i>pues</i>.<i> </i>No other significant differences in
learner use over the program were identified. Detailed analysis of the patterns
of use of native speakers and learners led to the identification of unique
discourse marker uses in the interlanguage of learners. These findings were
discussed in light of issues of interlanguage discourse marker use, discourse
marker frequency in input, and second language instruction.</p>
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:purdue.edu/oai:figshare.com:article/12268886 |
| Date | 07 May 2020 |
| Creators | Sydney Lauren Dickerson (8812247) |
| Source Sets | Purdue University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, Thesis |
| Rights | CC BY 4.0 |
| Relation | https://figshare.com/articles/thesis/Second_Language_Discourse_Markers_and_Study_Abroad_The_Case_of_Pues_and_Bueno_in_Peninsular_Spanish/12268886 |
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