Investigating Difficulties Encountered by EFL Learners in Using Discourse Markers in Written Texts

Abstract

This study aimed at investigating the difficulties that encounter EFL learners in using discourse markers in written discourse among students at Sudan University of Science and Technology College of languages, Department of English , 3rd year students, to investigate these difficulties, the researcher used descriptive analytical method and statistical package for social sciences (SPSS), and the data of this study was collected randomly, 30 students and 15 teachers, the researcher used a test for students, and questionnaire for teachers. The study concluded that most of the university EFL learners made error in using discourse markers in written text, the discourse markers usage create some difficulties to university EFL learners which led to distortion the meaning of the written text. Also university EFL learners have weakness in using of discourse markers particularly inferential and contrastive discourse markers. Based on the above findings, the study recommended that university teachers should use various method of teaching the use of discourse markers, in English written text, teacher should encourage their learners for more practice of discourse markers in writing process, universities should design full syllabus for teaching discourse markers, and universities should have specific system to evaluate EFL learners performance.