Is Now a Topic Changer in English?

English uses a time adverb now as a topic changer. It sounds sort of teacher-like someone's going to tell me a story about children. I think English, you know, is a little bit like that sometimes. So often other parts of speech may be grabbed and turned into particles. That was something I heard mentioned in passing as involved, singlish particles,. But oh, that they're sort of like lah and stuff, has a little bit of a solidarity.