Discourse Community of

RWS 1301
MICHAEL THOMPSON
Michael Thompson Discourse Community of RWS 1301 2

Introduction

According to the words of John Swales, a discourse community has no clear definition,

but is often defined as the center of many surrounding ideas. The RWS 1301 students were asked

to prove whether or not the course itself could be considered a discourse community by the

standards of Swales. Extensive research and the presence of different sources, along with

Swales six defining characteristics are necessary when it comes to proving the validity of the

argument that the course is considered a type of discourse community. Based solely on the

presence of the six characteristics in class, it is safe to assume that this class is a discourse

community.

Literature Review

The literature used in proving that the class is a discourse community is extremely helpful

in giving readers an idea of what may constitute this type of community. John Swales is the most

important among the research done in proving something to be a discourse community. He made

the definition of a discourse community more understandable to others who may not be familiar

with the concept. The definition Swales gives being that a discourse community is the center of

a set of ideas (Swales 1990, 469). This definition is what leads in to the defining characteristics

of a discourse community that is set forth by Swales. Each of these characteristics is absolutely

necessary when trying to decide whether the community in question can be considered to be

discourse. These six characteristics of a discourse community according to Swales are: common

public goals, intercommunication mechanisms, looped intercommunication, dedicated genres,

specialized vocabulary, and a self-sustaining hierarchy. Another helpful piece of literature for

this particular assignment was the Rhetoric and Writing Studies Handbook by Moushumi Biswas

and Daliborka C. Padon. This book was helpful because it gives the students an idea of what is
Michael Thompson Discourse Community of RWS 1301 3

expected for the assignment, and gives a detailed outline of what is necessary for each section of

the paper. The final piece of literature used for this assignment was C.S. Lewis and the Art of

Writing: What the Essayist, Poet, Novelist, Literary Critic, Apologist, Memoirist, Theologian

Teaches Us about the Life and Craft of Writing by Corey Latta. This book is meant to, meet

Lewis on the field of composition and acquaint Lewiss devotees with his identity as a master of

the English language (Latta 2016, 1). This particular work is meant to show the discourse

community found in the department of writing and in a career involving a strong knowledge of

the English language.

Methods

For this assignment, both primary and secondary research were conducted to prove that

the RWS 1301 course can in fact be considered a true discourse community. In the way of

primary research, observations were done within the classroom to become familiar with the

community and decide whether or not it can be considered discourse. The observations used to

develop this assertion came from course work, classroom lectures, and the primary source used

most by the students enrolled. The course work involves issues that are dealt with exclusively by

the students of this course, and quite possibly could not be applied to other courses outside the

RWS classroom. Classroom lectures were also very specific to this course because they outline

what will be taking place in class on a certain day. The importance of lectures to this course are

something similar to the importance of sunlight to a plant. A primary source is also something

that is used on a daily basis in the classroom. This primary source is the classroom journal, and it

is specific to this course and its contents are not very useful anywhere outside the classroom, and

make the class the discourse community that it is. Secondary research has also proved to be very

helpful in providing support to the claim of this course being a discourse community. The
Michael Thompson Discourse Community of RWS 1301 4

sources used to conduct this research were primarily books along with a short reading written by

John Swales who has outlined the factors that make up what is known to be a discourse

community. The reason for the use of these specific sources is because they truly give an idea of

different discourse communities, how to figure out what is considered a discourse community

and how to effectively write about the topic. In this topic in particular, the words of John Swales

come in handy in that they effectively discuss the six defining characteristics of a discourse

community. These six characteristics specifically influenced the secondary research.

Discussion

One of the common goals of this discourse community is helping students become more

productive members of their community. This course works to help students leave the class and

university with the knowledge and skills necessary to become successful in whatever community

and career path they choose for themselves in the future. The course does this by teaching its

students how to be effective readers, writers and communicators which, in todays society,

couldnt be more important. Students are also taught to be critical thinkers, and develop

insightful ideas through extensive and effective research. Without the presence of these specific

skills and the knowledge gained from the completion of this course, it is safe to assume that the

students may have a hard time adapting to environments where it is necessary to understand

these aspects taught throughout the length of the course.

The discourse community uses several intercommunication mechanisms that, for the

most part, are somewhat specific to the course. Mechanisms such as email and blackboard are

almost specific to the classroom. These mechanisms are used to communicate with the professor

or students whether it be a response to a reflection posted by a student or a nonsense question for

the professor about how to maneuver around blackboard. These are in fact mechanisms that are
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used in many classes at the university, but the difference being that each mechanism is uniquely

laid out for the content and professor of that course. In the case of the RWS 1301 discourse

community, these mechanisms contain questions and assignments that apply exclusively to the

members of the community. It is similar to the way an inside joke is only relevant to a small

group of people and completely misunderstood by individuals that were not present or part of the

group in which the joke was made. These mechanisms are somewhat vital to the success of the

students enrolled in this class.

The purpose of these mechanisms in this discourse community is to prompt an interaction

between its members. The mechanisms used in this course are meant to open the door to

discussions and peer relations between students. Most of the time, class reflections are required

by the professor, to be completed on blackboard, in which we explain what we retained from the

lesson for the day. These reflections sometimes come with additional responses to two other

classmates in which you interact with what they learned in class on the day. These are great to

start conversations and build relationships with your fellow students. Email is also used to

interact with one another although this mechanism is used more for feedback from the professor

on questions or concerns by the students. This is useful because it provides the student with

direct contact to someone who can answer the questions or alleviate concerns. In the long run

these mechanisms will be helpful by providing students with necessary feedback and a mutual

respect for one another while creating a space for interaction between the students and the

professor.

This community incorporates genres that can include both primary and secondary

sources. The sources used in this course can serve different purposes. Whether it be a reference

to something within the class, or a source to aid in doing effective research, these genres are
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extremely important to the course. An example of primary sources used in the class are the

students class composition books. These composition books contain notes and details that are

exclusively relevant to the class. Details such as when an assignment is due, what the assignment

is about and what needs to be present on the assignment should be documented within the

composition book. Another example of a genre relevant to this discourse community is the

secondary sources students are asked to obtain for research on a specific topic. Recently students

were asked to check out a secondary source, in the form of a book, from the library. This source

was supposed to pertain to writing within their major. An example being writing about creative

writing. A book that deals with this topic is C.S. Lewis and the Art of Writing by Corey Latta.

This book presents the reader with different critiques on writing styles and, essentially, how to

become a more effective user of the English language. The author uses a letter written by C.S.

Lewis himself to give an idea of his take on the crafting prose (Latta 2016, 3). In the letter,

Lewis explains what he feels is important to understand when writing, and that is, `Good

English` is whatever educated people talk; so that what is good in one place or time would not be

so in another. (Latta 2016, 4). This short phrase from Lewis letter could also serve to show a

discourse community for writers or those aspiring to be writers. It provides a viewpoint on what

can be considered to be proper English which is a common problem within the writing

community. This source seems to be relevant to a course such as RWS 1301 in which research is

done about a topic, but is also relevant to the people with an interest in a career involving some

sort of writing. Both types of genres listed seem to relate to the course material in different ways,

and can solidify the claim of the course being a real discourse community.

This discourse community also uses words and phrases that are relevant exclusively to

the class. The vocabulary used in this class is very crucial. The words used throughout the class
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are what make it what it is. The unique vocabulary used includes words such as: exigence,

audience, and constraints. These words are important to the topic of rhetoric, and apply almost

wholly to this class. It most likely would not be easy to find another community in which these

words are used. Just one example of this distinct lingo could be the word audience. When it

comes to rhetoric, it is important to know who you are writing to and what you need to take into

consideration before beginning the writing process.

This discourse community involves a self-sustaining hierarchy that takes place within the

classroom. When thinking of what this hierarchy, it is helpful to think of a ladder. In order to

move up the ladder, in this case the RWS class, it is important to gain the knowledge necessary

to make the leap to the next rung. The hierarchy of this discourse community consists of the

expert, who in this case would be the professor, and the newcomers, or students. The reason this

hierarchy is considered to be self-sustaining is due to the fact that the expert is working to impart

knowledge to the newcomers in order to help them tap into the potential it takes to one day move

up the metaphorical ladder and take the place of the current expert. Without this order, it would

be nearly impossible for anyone in this community to truly become an expert.

Conclusion

In conclusion, based on the course readings, textbook instructions, and outside sources,

the findings of the research conducted have lined up with the assumption that the RWS 1301

course can in fact be considered a discourse community. This course had an example of each of

John Swales six characteristics that define a discourse community, and the outside source even

seemed to prove the possible existence of other discourse communities. After consulting several

sources, and much observation in the classroom, it is definitely safe to say that the validity of the

statement that calls this course a discourse community should not be called into question.
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Bibliography

Latta, Corey. C.S. Lewis and the art of writing: what the essayist, poet, novelist, literary
critic, apologist, memoirist, theologian teaches us about the life and craft of writing. 1st
ed. Eugene, OR: Cascade Books, 2016.

Swales, John. The Concept of Discourse Community. Genre Analysis: English in

Academic Research Settings (1990): 21-32.

Biswas, Moushumi; Padon, Daliborka C. The undergraduate rhetoric and writing studies
handbook. El Paso, TX: Write Across Borders, Co. 2016:
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