Abstract
Discourse markers (DMs) are words and phrases used by speakers or writers to make their message more comprehensible to others and to organise the discourse structure. Particularly in speech communication, non-native speakers can use DMs as a strategic device to continue a conversation with their limited English language proficiency. However, despite the importance of DMs in spoken English, research examining the relationship between input and output of DMs is limited. To rectify this, the present study focuses on the presentation of DMs in Japanese EFL textbooks for junior high and high school students and explores how textbooks, as primary input data, play a role in Japanese EFL learners' speech. The statistical analyses of the presentation of DMs in 25 textbooks showed that the kind and number of items varied according to the targeted grades. Additionally, a comparative analysis with the textbooks and learner corpus data revealed that learners preferred high frequency items in the textbooks. Therefore, the results indicate that textbooks have an important effect on learners' acquisition of DMs.
