Discourse Marker in Research Seminar

Discourse markers is a word or a phrase that useful in communication. This paper investigates the use of discourse markers in research seminar. The objectives of this study are to find out the types and the functions of Discourse Markers used by the participants in the research seminar. The researcher analyzed the use of discourse markers based on Brinton Theory that are Brinton’s Inventory and Brinton’s Function Inventory. The results of the study contain two finding. First, there are eleven types of DMs that found based on Indonesian form like iya and in south Sulawesi form that is iye.). While, DMs that does not contain in Brinton’s Inventory, that is DM ya. Second, the function of discourse markers used by participants in research seminar have several functions that is based on the context. Based on Brinton’s Function Inventory, there are two function of discourse markers are textual function and interpersonal function.


INTRODUCTION
Discourse is more complex sentences of communication such as conversations and written texts (Berger:2016).Meanwhile, Richards & Schmidt (2014) stated that communication consists of two form, they are spoken and written form.However, Anderson & Mungal (2015) said that discourse is the conversation (or texts) that have underlying meaning, feelings, and relations in specific contexts.Thus, discourse is communication in spoken (conversation) and written that have meaning themselves.
Spoken discourse is spontaneous discourse that is easier understanding than written discourse which must read many times to understand it.According to Cevasco (2007), spoken discourse is spontaneously communication where the people negotiate and renegotiate meaning about events and comprehension is needed that function in society.Comprehension of discourse is very useful in communication because it can make misunderstanding between speaker and listener.The solution of making listener easier understand about the meaning of discourse, the speaker can use discourse markers.
Discourse markers (henceforth DMs) are defined as sequentially dependent element which bracket units of talks (Schiffrin, 1987).In other words, DMs are seen as textual and cohesive elements in discourse by depending on the previous or following units.Thus, connectivity is one of the fundamental features of DMs as they give signal relationships between utterances.Moreover, Fraser (1999) stated DMs are seen as a class of expression drawn primarily from the syntactic classes of conjunctions, adverbs and promotional phrase by signaling a relationship between the previous utterances and the following one.
Discourse marker are multifunctional.They are used fulfill several of different functions based on the situation or given context.Brinton (1996) stated that DMs serve pragmatic function.She cited them as pragmatic markers regarded as meaningless terms and enables only to be understood by seeking the clues in the context and situation or having a conventionalized pragmatic meaning mapped into them.
Due to the significance of discourse markers in native discourse, it is also important to investigate the use of discourse markers and their function in context of English as foreign language.Most of previous studies focused on exploring the use of discourse markers in context of casual conversation, interview and classroom interaction (Heller & Vergun, 2007;Castro &Marcela, 2009 andAsik &Cephe, 2013) and analyzing the use of discourse markers and their function on native speakers (Erman, 2001 andVanda &Peter, 2011).
Based on the previous studies above, it is clearly revealed that the use of discourse markers is different interaction from any context.Therefore, the researcher is interested to conduct a research in relation of discourse markers and in their function that used in formal context of research seminar setting.

METHOD
The study uses a descriptive qualitative method.The data is taken by recording Seminar Research.This research aims at gaining the data that have been observed during interaction in research seminar where there is speaker, adviser I, adviser II, examiner I, examiner II and audiences.The data are transcribed in order to spot the discourse markers from the participants in research seminar.After that, the data are categorized based on the DMs used and analyzed based on the function of DMs.
In technique of data analysis, the researcher classified the types of DMs used by the participants based on Brinton"s Inventory and the function of DMs used by participants in research seminar based on Brinton"s Function Inventory.

FINDINGS
The mayor purpose of study is to find out the use of discourse marker by participants in research seminar, they are types of discourse markers and the function of DMS used in research seminar.In this research uses Brinton"s theory (1996) which there are Brinton"s Inventory and her function to analyze the data.According to Brinton"s Inventory, there are thirty-three items of DMs.The function of DMs can be textual function or interpersonal function.In the discussion will interpret the findings of the research that taken in transcription of audio recording.
The function of DMs used in research seminar can be textual function or interpersonal function.Based on Brinton"s Function Inventory, there are nine functions in textual function and there are four functions of interpersonal function.Textual function is more related to the construction of discourse coherence.In this research, the researcher found the textual function of DMs are as closing frame marker, turn takers, turn giver, topic switcher, information indicator, sequence marker and repair marker.
While interpersonal function of DMs are precisely related to the reactions, responses, and relation built by the speaker during interaction.Based on the data analysis, the researcher found three function in interpersonal function that used by participants in research seminar, they are response marker, back-channel signal and confirmation-seeker.
Based on the data description, the researcher reveals that each participant has tendencies to use DMs in the research seminar and All of DMs used by participants in research seminar have several functions that is based on the context.In research seminar context, there are ten types of DMs that found based on Brinton"s Inventory, they are well, okay, and, if, but, because, I mean, oh right, so and yes.The research also found DMs that does not contain in Brinton"s Inventory, that is DM ya.
First, textual functions of discourse marker used in research seminar.Those are well, okay, and, if, but, because, I mean, ya and so.DM well is used by participant in opening the research seminar.The function of DM well is only as topic switcher in textual function.The used of DM well in research seminar focus on switching the different topic by the speaker at the time.The example of using DM well.
Based on the finding, Okay as DM is also found in research seminar.There are three function of DM okay in this data which are as turn taker, closing frame marker and turn giver in textual function.Okay as turn taker and turn giver is used to aid the speaker in acquiring or relinquishing the floor.While, DM okay as closing marker is used by the speaker in research seminar to close her presentation.
The function of DM and used in research seminar have two different function of textual function.Those are as information indicator and sequence marker.DM and as information indicator used in research seminar to give new information about previous information.Meanwhile, the function of using DM and as sequence marker to mark there is sequential dependence in her speech.
The participants in research seminar also using DM if and but.Both of DM if and but have different function where DM if is as information indicator and DM but is as sequence marker.DM if used as information indicator to give new information about something to the listener.While, DM but used as sequences marker to mark there are sequential speech or utterances with previous.
The functions of DM because used in research seminar are as sequence marker and information indicator.Because as sequence marker used by participant in research seminar to mark if the explanation has relation with the previous utterances.The function DM because as information indicator is same with the other DM which have same function as information indicator that used to give new information to the listener.DM I mean and ya used in research in textual function.The function of DM I mean is as repair marker to give information to the listener if the speaker repaired her utterances about something.Meanwhile, DM ya is as turn taker to mark the speaker"s turn of speaking.
Based on finding, DM so is also found and it have three functions in textual function.Those are as information indicator, sequence marker and turn taker.The function DM so as information indicator to donated new information while DM so as sequence marker to make a mark if next utterances have relationship with previous utterances.Meanwhile, the function of DM so as turn taker to make if the speaker"s turn of speaking that can be indicated.
Second, interpersonal functions of discourse markers are found in research seminar.Those are discourse marker oh, right and yes.The function of DM oh serves just one function in research seminar that is as back-channel signals used to give feedback or response if the listener understands what the speaker"s said.While, the function of DM right is as confirmation-seeker where it used to confirm of check whether the listener"s statement is same with the speaker"s thinking.The functions of DM yes used by participants in research seminar that is as response marker and back-channel signal in interpersonal function.In the research seminar found difference form of using DM yes is in Indonesian form like iya and in south Sulawesi form that is iye.The function of DM iya (yes) is as response marker which same as DM yes used to give a response for the speaker"s questions and DM iya (yes) is also as backchannel which function to give a mark if the listener understands about the speaker"s utterances.Meanwhile, the function of DM iye (yes) in research seminar is used as backchannel signal and response marker.Besides that, the function of DM iye (yes) is also as politeness mark in South Sulawesi context to respond when we speak with older people.

CONCLUSION
Based on the findings and discussion of data analysis, some conclusions can be drawn to get the insight which can be named discourse markers based on Brinton"s theory (1996).First, there are twelve types of discourse markers used by participants in research seminar.Those are eleven types of DMs that found based on Brinton"s Inventory, they are well, okay, and, if, but, because, I mean, oh, right, so and yes (DM yes is in Indonesian form like iya and in south Sulawesi form that is iye.).While, DMs that does not contain in Brinton"s Inventory, that is DM ya.
Second, the function of discourse markers used by participants in research seminar have several functions that is based on the context.Based on Brinton"s Function Inventory, there are two function of discourse markers are textual function and interpersonal function.Textual function used in nine discourse markers which found in research seminar, they are DM well as topic switcher; DM okay as turn taker, closing frame maker and turn giver; DM and as information indicator and sequence marker; DM if as information indicator; DM but as sequence marker; DM because as sequence marker and information indicator; DM I mean as repair marker; DM ya as turn taker and DM so as information indicator, sequence marker and turn taker.Meanwhile, interpersonal function used in three discourse markers that found in research seminar, they are DM oh as back-