Discourse Markers: Essential elements of a successful thesis defense presentation

Discourse markers, essential in discourse analysis, are words or phrases that link and structure content. Their correct use significantly impacts the effectiveness of presentations, especially in critical contexts like thesis defenses. This qualitative study aimed to determine how frequently discourse markers are used in thesis defense presentations. Data were collected by recording the thesis defense presentations of six students. The data were transcribed, and the analysis revealed that students employed various types of discourse markers, including micro, macro, and operator markers. Micro markers were the most commonly used, followed by macro markers and operators. Specifically, 413 micro, 200 macro, and 41 operator markers were identified. The results indicate that both micro and macro markers are essential for a successful thesis defense presentation. These results also accentuate the importance of raising students’ awareness of the appropriate use of DMs in academic settings and suggest a need for further training in this area.