The Use of Conversation Fillers in English by the Students of English Education in Intensive Speaking Class at Universitas Negeri Semarang

Abstract

This study investigated the types, functions, and communicative impacts of conversation fillers among English Education students at Universitas Negeri Semarang who were enrolled in intensive speaking courses. Using a qualitative descriptive approach and a case study design, data were collected through classroom observations, audio/video recordings, semi-structured interviews, and open-ended questionnaires. The findings revealed that the most frequently used fillers were unlexicalized hesitation markers such as uh (72.5%), um, and ah, which were typically employed when students experienced lexical retrieval difficulties or formulated ideas spontaneously. Lexicalized fillers, including you know and well, were also used to structure discourse and clarify intentions. The identified functions of these fillers included (1) creating processing time, (2) signaling hesitation while maintaining conversational control, (3) facilitating self-correction or reformulation, and (4) reducing speaking anxiety. Students demonstrated awareness of these functions and reported that fillers supported fluency, confidence, and active participation in spoken tasks. However, excessive and unregulated use of fillers was associated with reduced coherence and lower perceived proficiency. The study concluded that fillers were not merely disfluencies but adaptive strategies reflecting cognitive demands and pragmatic competence in second language use. Therefore, instruction in speaking should not focus solely on eliminating fillers but should instead promote strategic awareness and controlled usage. Enhancing linguistic competence, increasing self-awareness, and building learner confidence were found to be essential in helping students manage fillers more effectively, ultimately improving their fluency and discourse coherence in academic speaking situations.