Developing pragmatic competence in English as a lingua franca: Using discourse markers to express (inter)subjectivity and connectivity

•Discourse markers are examined as markers of expressions of (inter)subjectivity and connectivity.•English as a lingua franca talk in office hours is found to be improved by use of discourse markers.•Certain Discourse Markers are strategically re-interpreted.

The paper investigates how ELF speakers improve their pragmatic competence by using the discourse markers yes/yeah, so and okay as expressions of (inter)subjectivity and connectivity. The data discussed in this paper stems from university consultation hours, and it is part of a larger project conducted at the University of Hamburg on multilingualism and multiculturalism in the international university. Findings of the case studies described in this paper suggest that speakers of English as a lingua franca in academic consultation hours tend to strategically re-interpret certain discourse markers in order to help themselves improve their pragmatic competence and thus function smoothly in the flow of talk.