Level 3 — Intermediate (CEFR: B1)
Unit 12 — Connecting Ideas in Speech
Lesson 2 — Discourse Markers in Live Speech
Lesson Overview
Level: 3 — Intermediate Unit: 12 — Connecting Ideas in Speech Lesson: 2 of 5 Estimated Time: 75 minutes
What this lesson covers:
- Eight core discourse markers from the curriculum
- What each marker signals about the incoming content
- The interpreter’s advantage: predicting structure before it arrives
- English equivalents that preserve the organizational function
- A prediction drill for live speech
- Ministry sermon patterns for each marker
What Discourse Markers Do
Discourse markers are words and phrases that organize spoken language. They do not carry propositional content on their own — sin embargo does not describe an event. But they signal the structure of what is coming, giving the interpreter a half-second of preparation before the key content arrives.
From the curriculum:
Recognizing them helps an interpreter predict what is coming next.
This predictive function is the interpreter’s advantage. A speaker who says En primer lugar is about to give the first item of a list. A speaker who says Sin embargo is about to qualify or reverse the previous statement. The interpreter who recognizes these markers can begin structuring the English output before the content clause has arrived.
The Eight Core Discourse Markers
En primer lugar… — First of all…
Signals: a structured list is beginning. There will be a second point (En segundo lugar, además, también) and possibly a third.
What the interpreter does: produce “First of all…” and hold the structure open. Stay alert for the list continuation markers.
Ministry examples: En primer lugar, necesitamos arrepentimiento genuino. — First of all, we need genuine repentance. En primer lugar, Dios es soberano. En segundo lugar, Dios es bueno. En tercer lugar, Dios es fiel. — First of all, God is sovereign. Second, God is good. Third, God is faithful.
Common continuations: En segundo lugar, En tercer lugar, Finalmente, Por último
Además… — Furthermore… / In addition…
Signals: the speaker is adding a point that reinforces or expands on what just came before. Not a contrast — a continuation.
What the interpreter does: produce “furthermore,” “in addition,” or simply “and” depending on register. In formal preaching: “furthermore.” In conversational ministry: “and” or “also.”
Ministry examples: La gracia de Dios nos perdona. Además, nos da poder para cambiar. — God’s grace forgives us. Furthermore, it gives us power to change. Jesús es nuestro Salvador. Además, es nuestro amigo y guía. — Jesus is our Savior. Furthermore, He is our friend and guide. Debes orar por ellos. Además, debes amarlos con acciones. — You must pray for them. In addition, you must love them with actions.
Sin embargo… — However… / Nevertheless…
Signals: a contrast or qualification is coming. What was just said is true — but something complicates, limits, or reverses it.
What the interpreter does: produce “however” or “nevertheless” and prepare for a clause that turns the direction of the argument. This is the most important discourse marker for theological speech, because much of gospel preaching moves in the structure: human problem → sin embargo → God’s solution.
Ministry examples: El hombre pecó y se alejó de Dios. Sin embargo, Dios no lo abandonó. — Man sinned and walked away from God. However, God did not abandon him. El camino es estrecho y pocos lo encuentran. Sin embargo, quien busca, halla. — The road is narrow and few find it. Nevertheless, whoever seeks, finds. Estábamos muertos en nuestros delitos. Sin embargo, Dios, que es rico en misericordia, nos dio vida. — We were dead in our transgressions. However, God, who is rich in mercy, gave us life.
Por lo tanto… — Therefore… / Thus…
Signals: a conclusion is coming. The argument or evidence just presented leads to this logical result.
What the interpreter does: produce “therefore” or “so then.” In informal ministry speech: “so.” In rhetorical or formal sermon: “therefore.”
Ministry examples: Dios es fiel. Por lo tanto, podemos confiar en Él en todo momento. — God is faithful. Therefore, we can trust Him at all times. Cristo pagó el precio de nuestros pecados. Por lo tanto, somos libres. — Christ paid the price for our sins. Therefore, we are free. No tenemos nada que temer. Por lo tanto, avancemos con valentía. — We have nothing to fear. Therefore, let us move forward with courage.
O sea… — In other words… / That is…
Signals: a clarification or restatement is coming. The speaker is about to say the same thing in simpler or more concrete terms.
What the interpreter does: produce “in other words” or simply continue without a transitional marker if the restatement is natural. The key function is clarification — the speaker is explaining, not advancing a new argument.
Ministry examples: Cristo tomó nuestro lugar — o sea, Él sufrió lo que nosotros merecíamos. — Christ took our place — in other words, He suffered what we deserved. Somos salvos por fe, o sea, no por nuestras buenas obras sino por confiar en Él. — We are saved by faith — that is, not by our good works but by trusting in Him. El Espíritu nos guía — o sea, nunca tenemos que tomar decisiones solos. — The Spirit guides us — in other words, we never have to make decisions alone.
Es decir… — That is to say… / That is…
Signals: nearly identical to o sea — a restatement or clarification. Slightly more formal in register. Common in expository preaching when a preacher defines a term.
What the interpreter does: produce “that is” or “that is to say.” Often this can be translated with a dash and the clarification: “Christ is the propitiation for our sins — that is, He is the full satisfaction of God’s just requirements.”
Ministry examples: Jesús es el Señor — es decir, Él tiene toda autoridad en el cielo y en la tierra. — Jesus is Lord — that is to say, He has all authority in heaven and on earth. Debemos andar en el Espíritu, es decir, dejar que Él dirija cada decisión. — We must walk in the Spirit — that is, allow Him to direct every decision. La iglesia es el cuerpo de Cristo, es decir, somos la presencia física de Él en el mundo. — The church is the body of Christ — that is, we are His physical presence in the world.
Entonces… — So… / Then… / Well then…
Signals: a consequence or narrative continuation. Can mark logical consequence (“so…”) or narrative sequence (“then…”) or an informal transition (“well then…”). Context determines which.
What the interpreter does: this is the most flexible marker. Read the context — is the speaker reasoning (then “so” or “therefore”) or narrating (then “then” or “and so”) or transitioning informally (“well” or “now”)?
Ministry examples: Dios nos habló claramente. Entonces, ¿qué hacemos con eso? — God spoke to us clearly. So, what do we do with that? (rhetorical consequence) Pedro negó a Jesús tres veces. Entonces Jesús lo restauró. — Peter denied Jesus three times. Then Jesus restored him. (narrative sequence) ¿Entendemos que somos perdonados? Entonces vivamos como perdonados. — Do we understand that we are forgiven? Then let us live as forgiven people. (exhortational consequence)
Ahora bien… — Now then… / Now…
Signals: a transition to a new point or a new dimension of the argument. The speaker is about to shift the frame — not necessarily contrast, but a pivot.
What the interpreter does: produce “now” or “now then.” This marker often appears at sermon transitions between major points or sections.
Ministry examples: Hemos hablado de la gracia. Ahora bien, hablemos de la obediencia. — We have talked about grace. Now then, let us talk about obedience. Sabemos lo que Dios hizo en el pasado. Ahora bien, ¿qué está haciendo hoy? — We know what God did in the past. Now, what is He doing today? Cristo venció la muerte. Ahora bien, ¿qué significa eso para nuestra vida diaria? — Christ conquered death. Now then, what does that mean for our daily lives?
Summary Table
| Marker | English | Signals |
|---|---|---|
| En primer lugar | First of all | List is starting |
| Además | Furthermore / In addition | Addition coming |
| Sin embargo | However / Nevertheless | Contrast or qualification coming |
| Por lo tanto | Therefore / So | Conclusion coming |
| O sea | In other words | Clarification / restatement coming |
| Es decir | That is / That is to say | Formal clarification / definition coming |
| Entonces | So / Then / Well then | Consequence or narrative continuation |
| Ahora bien | Now then / Now | Pivot to new point or dimension |
The Prediction Drill
From the curriculum:
Interpretation drill: Listen to a speech. Every time you hear a discourse marker, raise your hand and predict what type of information comes next. Then check whether you were right.
Drill protocol:
- A partner reads a sermon excerpt at natural pace.
- Whenever you hear one of the eight markers, raise your hand and name the incoming information type before the speaker finishes the sentence.
- The speaker pauses; you state your prediction aloud.
- The speaker continues; you evaluate whether the prediction was correct.
This is a distinct skill from interpreting — it is pre-processing. The interpreter who has internalized these markers is not just reacting to words; they are anticipating structure and preparing the output channel before the content arrives.
Practice Exercises
Exercise 1 — Marker Identification
Read the following sermon passage and underline every discourse marker. For each, name what type of information follows:
En primer lugar, el evangelio es poder de Dios para salvación. Además, el evangelio es para todo el que cree — no solo para un pueblo. Sin embargo, no todos lo recibirán. Por lo tanto, nuestra tarea es proclamarlo fielmente, sin importar la respuesta. O sea, no somos responsables de los resultados, solo de la fidelidad. Entonces, ¿qué nos impide ir? Ahora bien, examinemos tres obstáculos comunes.
Markers and types: En primer lugar (list start) → Además (addition) → Sin embargo (contrast) → Por lo tanto (conclusion) → O sea (clarification) → Entonces (rhetorical consequence → question) → Ahora bien (pivot to new point)
Exercise 2 — Consecutive Interpretation with Prediction
A partner reads the Exercise 1 passage. At each discourse marker, you raise your hand, predict the incoming type, then immediately produce the English equivalent of the full sentence when delivered.
Exercise 3 — Marker Insertion
The following passage has no discourse markers. Rewrite it, inserting appropriate markers between sentences:
God is holy. We are sinners. We cannot approach God on our own. Christ is the mediator. Through Him we have access to the Father. We must not delay. Today is the day of salvation.
Sample answer: God is holy. Sin embargo, we are sinners. Por lo tanto, we cannot approach God on our own. Es decir, Christ is the only mediator. Entonces, through Him we have access to the Father. Ahora bien, we must not delay — today is the day of salvation.
Exercise 4 — Live Sermon Marker Audit
Listen to a 5-minute recorded sermon in Spanish (or have a partner deliver one). After listening:
- List all eight curriculum markers in order of appearance
- Note which marker appeared most frequently
- Interpret the sermon, focusing specifically on rendering each marker accurately
Key Takeaways for This Lesson
Before moving to Lesson 3:
- Discourse markers signal logical structure — they tell the interpreter what is coming before it arrives
- The eight curriculum markers and their signals: list (en primer lugar), addition (además), contrast (sin embargo), conclusion (por lo tanto), clarification (o sea, es decir), consequence/continuation (entonces), pivot (ahora bien)
- Sin embargo + por lo tanto are the most frequent in theological preaching: problem → however → solution → therefore → implication
- Practice the prediction drill until discourse markers produce automatic pre-structuring of the English output
Daily Practice
Read one theological passage per day (from a sermon, devotional, or Bible commentary in Spanish). Mark every discourse marker. For each, state its English equivalent and what it signaled about the following content.
After one week: the eight markers should produce instant recognition and automatic structural prediction.