MY DISCOURSE COMMUNITES

My Discourse Communities Amber R. Avila University of Texas at El Paso September 8 !"#$

MY DISCOURSE COMMUNITES

Abstract Eac% an& every one of us is part of somet%in' muc% bi''er t%an us. (e all belon' to communities t%at &iffer in communication lan'ua'e stan&ar&s interactions an& members calle& a &iscourse community. A &iscourse community in s%ort is a 'roup of people )%o s%are t%e same 'oals communication met%o&s an& use t%ese t)o to &evelop certain interactions. Everyone is part of t%ese types of communities some even more t%an ot%ers. *n t%is essay * )ill &iscuss four main &iscourse communities * am part of myself an& en%ance your un&erstan&in' of )%at t%ese communities really are.

MY DISCOURSE COMMUNITES

A &iscourse community is non exclusive. Everyone is a member of a particular &iscourse community t%at s%ares a common 'oal or interest en'a'es in &ifferent forms of communication an& establis%es a criterion for all members to follo). Ta+in' a loo+ at my o)n &iscourse communities allo)e& me t%e opportunity to ta+e a step bac+ an& 'et t%e ,insi&e scoop- of )%at it really ta+es to be part of a community. After analy.in' my o)n communities * 'aine& a better un&erstan&in' of t%e 'oals lan'ua'e rules an& interactions t%at ta+e part in my every&ay life. /our communities %o)ever stoo& out more t%an t%e rest an& are extremely important to me as an in&ivi&ual0 family frien&s colle'e stu&ent an& professional community. * can &efinitely say t%e lon'est &iscourse community * %ave been a part of is my family. 1oin' on #2 years3 To meet t%e criteria to become part of my family &iscourse community is by bloo& or be marrie& into t%e family 4at your o)n ris+ of course35. (%enever * am )it% my family * %ave a sense of security an& can relax almost instantly +no)in' * am bac+ )it% my ,o)n +in&-. /ormal responses suc% as ,yes ma6am- ,no sir- an& ,Mr. or Mrs.- are pretty muc% t%ro)n out t%e )in&o) in t%is environment )%ic% is a bi' &ifference compare& to sc%ool an& professional environments. (e can communicate so openly )it% eac% ot%er )it% little comments li+e ,you6re suc% a pain3- ,ne'ative '%ost ri&er- an& of course a mot%er6s personal favorite ,ma+e yourself useful.- Plus usin' our nic+names is a very exclusive t%in' in t%is community since )e &on6t )ant anyone else callin' us ,Ambie- ,Princess- or ,C%an'o-. 7ou very )ell cannot tal+ to your supervisor or professor in suc% a manner3 Communication is vitally important in t%is community. Alt%ou'% )e %ar&ly ans)er t%em our p%ones are a very important means of communication )it%in our %ouse%ol& since )e &o not %ave a 'eneral %ouse p%one. (e can sen& 8uic+ messa'es to eac% ot%er suc% as ,)%ere are you999- ,:.- an& ,pic+ up your p%one )oman3- T%e purpose of t%ese types of messa'es can be to &rop a line to let eac% ot%er +no)

MY DISCOURSE COMMUNITES

t%at ,)e6re not lyin' in a &itc% some)%ere- or ,if )e6re still breat%in'- )%at is for &inner sportin' events or family coo+outs all &one t%rou'% a 8uic+ text or a p%one call. As for aut%ority my family is un&er t%e &irection of our )ar&en but )e )ill call %er ,Mom-. My mot%er sets t%e 'roun& rules for t%e %ouse inclu&in' family an& sc%ool expectations c%ores an& of course curfe) %ours. ;er one an& absolute rule is to never 'ive up on eac% ot%er an& love eac% ot%er in&efinitely0 ,* &on6t %ave to li+e you<but *6ll al)ays love you3=o) t%e rules of frien&s%ip are some)%at similar to t%ose of a family &iscourse community. * &o not %ave to li+e you all t%e time but * %ave to love you even )%en you &o somet%in' &umb. Since our form of communication is more open an& very informal lettin' eac% ot%er +no) one of us is &oin' somet%in' &umb is not a bi' &eal an& )on6t 'et you 'roun&e& or punis%e& li+e in a family &iscourse community. (e &o not %ave to come up )it% a nice reasonable )ay to come out )it% it ot%er t%an ,you6re bein' stupi&- an& alt%ou'% )e can be %ars% sometimes )e also 'ive emotional support &urin' times of nee& &urin' brea+ups te&ious classes an& family troubles. Most support an& social interaction is &one by textin' p%one calls an& by in person interaction. T%e purpose of t%ese types of communication outlets is to allo) us to c%ec+ on eac% ot%er meet up before or after class arran'e plans to play bas+etball %ave a movie ni'%t an& more recently to play Dun'eons an& Dra'ons. *n t%is &iscourse community )e also encoura'e t%e use of nic+names in our &aily communication suc% as ,Su'ar- ,Tiny- an& ,>o%nny Roc+et-. *n or&er to be a part of t%is community you MUST %ave a sense of %umor 'et alon' )it% everyone an& follo) t%e main 'oal0 to al)ays %ave eac% ot%er6s bac+s 4even )%en you t%in+ t%ey are )ron'5 because ot%er t%an your family frien&s are )%at you 'ot. T%e professional si&e of &iscourse communities is anot%er story3 To become part of t%is community you must apply for t%e position pass t%e intervie) an& atten& a t)o &ay orientation

MY DISCOURSE COMMUNITES

before 'ettin' to t%e real c%an'es. *n t%is settin' lan'ua'es an& messa'es become more formal t%e environment c%an'es an& t%e )ay )e communicate are sli'%tly &ifferent. As a Re%ab Tec% in *npatient Re%ab our main focus is to treat our patients )it% respect an& 'ive affor&able care. *n or&er to ac%ieve t%is 'oal a Re%ab Tec% is partnere& up )it% a P%ysical ?ccupational or Speec% T%erapists. Communication bet)een co@)or+ers is absolutely essential )it%in t%e %ospital settin'3 Aists of patients are printe& an& 'iven to t%e Tec%s alon' )it% notes ma&e by t%e t%erapists suc% as ,c@spine precaution passive ran'e of motion active assist or pen&in' sur'ery.- T%ese notes are very important in t%e &etermination of treatment best suite& for t%e patient. *f t%ese precautions are not ta+en t%en )e can be in serious trouble3 *n or&er to communicate effectively t%rou'%out t%e %ospital )e rely mainly on t%e use of cell p%ones to call or text eac% ot%er an& )rite messa'es on a 'eneral )%ite boar& in t%e office. (e use t%ese Me&ias to communicate not only )it% our t%erapists but )it% nurses C=A6s an& ot%er Tec%s as )ell. (e use t%ese Me&ias in case more %elp is nee&e& if t%ere are any more t%erapy or&ers t%at nee& atten&in' )%o %as )%at patient an& if a patient is cleare& to be )or+e& )it%. T%e basic rule of t%e %ospital is to maintain patient confi&entiality 4;*PPA5 +noc+ on &oors upon enterin' an& treat everyone )it% respect. T%e aca&emic settin' is one &iscourse community )e are probably most familiar )it% but sli'%tly &ifferent )%en it comes to atten&in' a university. T%e main purpose or 'oal for atten&in' a university is to receive t%e %i'%est &e'ree possible in your fiel& an& use t%at &e'ree in or&er to 'et a 'oo& Bob. *n or&er to be accepte& into t%e university you must apply possibly )rite an entrance essay an& ta+e placement exams in or&er to &etermine your courses. ?ne accepte& you be'in your &ay )it% a &ifferent environment )it% &ifferent )ays of communication. T%e most common lan'ua'e use& &urin' your time in sc%ool is En'lis% base& but some professors

MY DISCOURSE COMMUNITES

an& your ot%er classmates may communicate in Spanis% as )ell. (ritin' &one in colle'e mostly &epen&s on t%e instruction of your professor some may assi'n MAA or APA formats a re8uire& pa'e len't% or to be )ritten )it%in a fixe& time perio&. *nstructors assi'n )ritin' assi'nments to see if you %ave 'raspe& t%e material an& to see if improvement is nee&e&. *nstructions an& fee&bac+ are mostly 'iven electronically or by a %an& )ritten &ocument an& if t%e stu&ent nee&s furt%er assistin' may contact t%e instructor. *n sc%ool you )ill probably most li+ely communicate )it% your professors an& your classmates. T%e instructor6s primary me&ia for communication is by e@mail or office %ours. T%is communication allo)s t%e stu&ent to contact t%eir instructor if t%ey re8uire assistance %ave 8uestions about assi'nments or Bust to clarify 'oals of t%e class. 7our classmates on t%e ot%er %an& can be reac%e& by p%one text email an& messa'es sent t%rou'% blac+boar&. Stu&ents use t%ese me&ias to communicate amon'st eac% ot%er for support 'roup assi'nments clarification stu&y partners or even Bust because you %ave become frien&s3 Every institution of %i'%er e&ucation %as certain 'ui&elines an& rules eac% stu&ent is expecte& to follo) )%ic% can be locate& in t%e UTEP stu&ent %an&boo+. (e are all part of &ifferent communities t%at ma+e us &ifferent an& uni8ue. =ot Bust by t%e communities t%emselves but by t%e &ifferences in our met%o&s of communication our values an& t%e )ay )e interact )it% ot%er 'roup members. Everyone is part of a community eit%er bi' or small but nevert%eless eac% community is important an& nee&e&. 7ou )oul& be surprise& %o) many &ifferent communities you are part of3