Discourse markers in powerpoint presentations by ESP students: An investigation of sustainable practices

The literature in English for Specific Purposes (ESP) argues that the use of digital tools constitutes a sustainable teaching and learning practice in the field of ESP (Kohnke, Jarvis, & Ting, 2021). Microsoft PowerPoint is a digital tool that is routinely used by ESP instructors as well as ESP undergraduates. Whilst PowerPoint presentations form part of the ESP teaching and learning routine, there is insufficient knowledge about the repertoire of metadiscursive means, for instance, discourse markers (DMs), which are used by ESP undergraduates on the slides of their PowerPoint presentations. In an attempt to generate new knowledge on this matter, this contribution describes a study whose aim is to establish how a group of ESP undergraduates (further – participants) uses DMs on the slides of their PowerPoint presentations. The study employs an intraparticipant research design to shed light onto the occurrence of DMs on the participants’ PowerPoint slides during (i) the explicit and (ii) implicit modes of instruction associated with the teaching and learning of DMs. This is done in order to contrast these two teaching and learning conditions and look into whether or not the participants’ use of DMs on the PowerPoint slides is sustainable. The results of the quantitative analysis reveal that the participants use DMs (i) and, (ii) as, (iii) but, (iv) however, and (v) so sustainably in all the experimental conditions. However, apart from the aforementioned DMs, their use of DMs in the implicit mode of instruction is not sustainable. The study provides linguo-didactic implications that are relevant to the sustainable teaching and learning of DMs in PowerPoint presentations by ESP undergraduates.