As a college student, I have come across the article by John Swales concept of discourse community. I was kind of confused about what exactly a discourse community was but then after rereading the importance and relevance of the concept in our everyday life. Swales had a pretty good definition of discourse community as a group of people who shares a common interest and communicates with one another by using a specialized communication style. One of the examples he mentioned is the scientific community. Scientists communicate with each other by using a specialized language and set of conventions that are better understood only by those within the community. Another example would be the academic community, students and professors communicate with each other by using a specific vocabulary and writing style that are useful to the academic setting. This also allows for the exchange of ideas and knowledge in a way that can be easily understood by those who are in the community. For the academic community, students must learn to write in specific style, by using the right citation formats, and engaging with ongoing scholarly conversations within their field. Each community has its own set of genres or some type of communication that can be used to convey information and other ideas. For instance, the scientist community can use research articles, lab reports and other presentations as genres for communication. By understanding the language and the conventions of different communities, it can be a better way to engage with others.
Discourse Community
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