Reading Response No. 15

Getting Ready to Read:
Two activities that I participate in are my classes in school and playing music. I do not have an instrument here at school, so these two things stay separate. The only I can think of school influencing my musical abilities is if i had an instrument here, studying may get in the way of practicing, but other than that the two activities would remain separate.

Summary:
In his article "Literacy, Discourse, and Linguistics," Gee attempts to explain to his audience the difference between discourses and language and grammar. Gee explains discourses as ways of being. He argues by stating the discourse can define someone, and that we move from a initial to a secondary discourse due to our life experiences.

Synthesis:
One could compare this article to the Swales article we read. Both articles try to touch on what a discourse is. Both also deal with definition. Using the six characteristics, Swales defines the term discourse community while Gee says that we can be defined by a discourse community.

Questions for Disscussion and Journaling:
When Gee says this, he is saying that context matters with grammar. Perfect grammar to one person who doesn't speak well obviously isn't the same as perfect grammar to a person who does. In school, we are not taught this. We are taught that one should speak and write with good grammar all the time.

Personal Response:
I found this article interesting because it made me look at discourse communitites in a new way and also look at grammar in a new way. I think that it will be useful when I have to pick a discourse community for project three because I view discourse communities as something that can exist outside of academia, which is something I've never done.