Tanner Beck

Professor Agosta

UWRT 1101-005

16 March 2017

Swales

1. Discourse community a social group that is key to the writing and

revision process
Speech Community a group of people who share similar writing styles

and language
Genres categories that certain writing styles follow
Rhetorical situations scenarios that require specific types of

formatting (poem, essay)

Conventions groups created to talk about specific genres
2. Swales wants to offer us the knowledge of what a discourse

community is even though there isnt a clear-cut definition. Swales

goal is to provide criteria for what a discourse community contains and

to distinguish it from other communities. This goal is important

because it helps give discourse community a set identity. This doesnt

remind me of any readings weve done, but it does remind me of a

short video we watched about a pastor on campus. I recall him being

the cause of discord because of his fire and brimstone speech

methods.

Characteristic Explanation Class Example Questions

Public Goals These goals may We fulfill this
be formally characteristic
inscribed in because we
documents or have pre-set
they may be more goals that were
tacit. stated at the
Goals are specific beginning of
things a group class.
intends to achieve
themselves.
Participation The participatory We have
mechanisms will classwork and
vary according to homework,
the community: discussions are
meetings, few but still
telecommunications help us engage
with one
Participation means another.
one must be active
within the
community.
Membership Membership We all paid for Should
implies uptake of this class, so I membership be
the informational guess thats like bought or
opportunities. a membership earned? (Asking
Membership is a payment? for personal
sign of comradery opinion)
amongst individuals
within a group.
Topic This may involve We only talk Is appropriation
Appropriation appropriation of about the topic really needed
and Genres topics, the form, that pertains to for discourse?
function and the class
positioning of some periods lesson,
elements so we dont
Topic Appropriation have all these
keeps a group from different topics
straying too far floating around.
from the original
purpose of
conversation.
Specific Lexis In addition to We havent
owning genres, a learned much
 discourse new vocabulary
community has so I cant say
acquired some this applies to
specific lexis. us.
Lexis applies to
ones vocabulary
and gauges
Member Limit A discourse We can only fit
community has a a limited
threshold level of amount of
members with a people in a
suitable degree of class and
relevant content classroom, so
and expertise. we definitely
This one is self- have to follow a
explanatory. limit on
students.