Blog 6

Blog 6

I believe our class is a discourse community because we follow most of the categories that fit into Swales’ description of a discourse community. We use mechanisms of intercommunication via our class blogs. Not only do we blog to relate back to the discussions we have during our class, but we also observe each others’ blogs to share relations and communicate. As a class we also share a set of common goals which include defining terms such as ethnographic methods, discourse analysis, reflective/auto biographical analysis and more, understanding research and writing in language and literature studies, and to develop and apply research skills for creating original texts, representative of discipline-specific forms. The social culture that is shared in the class also adds to make it a discourse community. It is true that many other classes at Kean University, especially in the English department, probably share similar lexis’ and goals, however they do not have the exact culture that our classroom has built. Since the semester started we, as a class, have developed relations where we communicate with our neighbors and teacher. We talk a certain way with one another, or choose not to talk at a particular moment in time. Even though these types of social norms occur in other classrooms, I don’t believe they would occur in the same way. We would never have another class with all the same people in it and all the same lexis’ being expressed. We could never have the same comfort levels we do with people in other classes, even if it was another English 3029 class because when the class started, a culture developed with it and grew to what it is today.

With the field work which we conducted in our last class, it may have seemed a bit chaotic since we knew ahead of time that we would be observing each other for an ethnography analysis. However, it still proved the point that we are a discourse community because of the way we acted, spoke, and reacted to certain things. For example, when Professor Chandler started the activity, many people shared the same feeling of confusion. I drew this conclusion because as I looked around the classroom, I noticed that almost all the students had perplexed looks on their faces. Everyone had the common goal of observing the class and taking down notes for evidence. During the activity, we shared common lexis’ as students shared what their proposed projects would be. So, in the sense that we already had a developed relationship with one another, we had common shared goals, and we used the same lexis, I would have to say that even in the ethnographic activity we acted as a discourse community.

The following are my notes from the ethnographic activity:

Teacher starts talking and everyone in the class looks around with perplexed looks on their faces. Teacher starts talking about the different ways that we will be analyzing and asks students.        Stephanie looks around and puts her head down on the table-confused? Frustrated?

Teacher asks for volunteers to speak about what they will be analyzing. Joanna volunteers to speak. The other students (some) look at Joanna as she speaks-giving her attention. Specifically Sharrelle, Jillian, Jenna, Corrine, and Stephanie. They also take notes. Stephanie is seated at her computer with both legs on the table. Stephanie and Corrine look at each other and giggle.

Joanna is reading from her blog post.

Teacher asks question. Jillian raises her hand. Teacher calls on Jillian, Jillian starts talking about her project. She doesn't read. As the teacher walks to the back of the classroom Jillian continues to look at her as she talks. Others look at Jillian as she talks. Others take notes. Kimberly looks confused, but takes notes. There are giggles in the class every now and then. Stephanie and Krista look at each other. Stephanie shrugs.