“Micro-Activity # 2: Introduction to Discourse Communities”

Quote 1: “Fine, but we now need to emphasize the roles of new digital channels, such as emails, blogs, tweets, etc., and we also need to stress that without any means of intercommunication of any kind, there is no real community. Subscribers to Le Monde may share certain characteristics, but they do not form a discourse community.” (paragraph 23)

Response: This quotation is compelling to me because you can think of many ways in life that relate to the discourse community. Written and spoken can consider that. For example, I could think of social media like Facebook and Instagram, text messages, and on the phone. Even though this is an informal discourse community, people could use their communication in a group, which is not everyone understands it. It feels like secret codes to me when I belong in that discourse community.

Quote 2: A DC has an explicit or implicit hierarchy and/or structure which, inter alia, manages the processes of entry into and advancement within the discourse community. The stress here on managing DC affairs reduces the somewhat static impression that the 1990 formulation produces. (paragraph 27)

Response: This quotation is interesting to me because I could see when people join a discourse community, they distinguish the levels in that community. People may know more or less than others, but it should be equivalent. Those who have more knowledge could help others who want to become members of their community. Therefore, it is important to have numbers of people form a discourse community.

Three discourse communities:

1. School: Education is important for all of us. As a result, people have the same goal to get higher grades or pass the classes. For example, when I go to the English class, I will be part of that discourse community. I will learn the same thing as other students, so we will use the same language to communicate the topic that the professor gives us.
2. Work: I think of work as part of discourse community. I worked as a cashier in the past. The employees all had the same goal that was earn more money in that restaurant, so we could get pay on time. When I was new there, they helped me out many times. They were friendly and taught me things. For instance, I learned the whole menu, which I did not use in daily life. Therefore, if I never learned that menu, I would never know those cuisines exist.
3. Family: Family is another discourse community to me. We are supporting, sharing, and working together. We speak the same language (Chinese dialect). We celebrate our customs and traditions.