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Title
Uh Well, You know, I Mean It: Discourse Markers Use by Non- Native Students in Interview Settings

Authors
A. R. Jalilifar (Ph.D.)
Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Iran
M. Hashemian (Ph.D.)
Shahrekord University, Iran

Bio Data
Alireza Jalilifar is assistant professor of Applied Linguistics at Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Iran. He has published in several international and national journals, including Journal of College Reading and Learning, Greek Journal of Applied Linguistics, System, RELC, and Journal of Language and Translation and has presented papers in conferences such as Systemic Linguistics and IPrA. His recent book Research article in applied linguistics: A genre-based writing guide provides an accessible introduction to research article writing. His main interests are second language writing,
genre analysis, and academic discourse.

Mahmood Hashemian is assistant professor of Applied Linguistics at Shahrekord University, Iran. He has published papers in IJLS and IJAL, and Linguistik-Online, and has presented papers in conferences such as TELLSI and LDP2010 in Ahvaz. His main interests are second language acquisition, applied linguistics, sociolinguistics, and
discourse analysis.

Abstract
Discourse markers (DMs), as linguistic elements that serve pragmatic roles in conversations, have been the subject of investigation in a host of studies. Many of these studies have focused on native speaker discourse. Though some studies have also traced the acquisition of these markers in non-native interactions, the importance of their acquisition is hardly reflected in classroom textbooks or in research on second language development. In particular, studies on the development of DMs within an interview framework by non-native learners of English are scant. Therefore, the present study targeted the use and the function of DMs in interviews of Persian learners of English as a foreign language. Ninety female learners of English were selected and put in three groups on the basis of their performance on a simulated TOEFL test. Then, all the participants were interviewed and they were recorded for further analysis. The analysis of the data revealed differences in the frequency and functions of DMs, indicating that DMs are acquired developmentally. The results of this study are by no means conclusive, so more research is needed to substantiate the results.

Key Words: Discourse markers, Interview, Hesitation marker, Shared knowledge