A discourse community plays a pivotal role in life. These unique groups can be found in all areas, from personal interests to politics. So, what is a discourse community? It is a group of people with common goals, interests, tasks, and roles. Many of these will have groups that are involved in the same practices, such as IT. Here, we look at the importance of these groups. You can learn how they impact everyday life as well as professional careers.
Importance of a Discourse Community
The main purpose is to exchange information and gather feedback. There are many ways in which these groups are important in life. They provide a great way to develop social skills for students and can prepare them for higher education. When children go to school and then to college, they will learn how to work with others. As part of your education, you will learn how to be a positive part of society. After earning a degree, you will be academically prepared and socially developed.
Discourse is important since it is how we all interact socially. Whether it is in a social group, a work group, or within a family, there are different forms of communication. When involved in a discourse community, you must have a complete understanding of the language being used, how it is used, what knowledge the members have, and what interests each member has.
The main emphasis is on communication. In a college setting, students who are involved in multiple groups will learn various ways to interact. This can enhance social skills and allow one to master strategies that can help them discuss ideas or concepts that are less familiar.
It is important to know that discourse does not solely refer to verbal interactions. It encompasses all forms, including written, body language, and spoken words.
Discourse Communities in Life
To be considered a discourse community, the group must meet strict criteria. John Swales has outlined what it means to be part of such a group and what is required. The six characteristics include:
- Common goals
- Methods of interaction
- Participatory communication methods
- Genres defining the group
- A lexis
- Standard knowledge for membership
Any group that meets these criteria will share a community. This can include groups that are encountered in everyday life, such as sports teams, employees, teachers, fans of musicians, and more. These groups will all have a special way of discussing their goals and interests.
As part of a college course, you may have to write an essay on discourse groups and how they work. With paper samples online, you can get some ideas on how to cover this topic and include examples. One of the great ideas for your discourse community essays would be covering these six characteristics. You can go into detail about how each plays a role within the group and is needed to meet set goals.
Everyone is a member of these types of groups, even if they do not realize it. As long as you are involved in a community with shared goals and common interests, you are part of a community if you communicate about these things. Using free essays will help you understand these groups in detail, and you will be able to soon identify different communities around you.
The IT Sphere
When it comes to IT, there are many ways in which discourse communities are active. Here, you can read a guide to defining discourse communities in the IT sphere. Like any other, it must meet the six criteria. IT professionals communicate in ways that are not familiar to others. If you do not have experience in the IT field, you may not understand what is being said. Phrases like bug, encryption, VPN, and cloud are used daily.
This type of group in an IT office will use technical terms when communicating. Members will have to be familiar with the lexis used and how it is used. Without this knowledge, those in the field will not be able to communicate effectively with other group members or perform their jobs. To an outsider, hearing these phrases may be confusing, but to those in the IT sphere, it is the everyday language spoken.
To be part of these communities, it will take more than general knowledge of terms and technology. Most members will be highly educated and will have performed vast research within the field. They can communicate on various topics ranging from support for users to updating software platforms. Within the IT sphere, the group members must meet specific goals and operate within set parameters and rules.
Conclusion
In short, these groups consist of knowledgeable and qualified members that share a set of values. Many of these groups are identified as academic disciplines or professions. However, there are many informal social groups that can also function as a group. These groups will place a strong focus on text and language. This allows for members to maintain goals and interact effectively. Without this, goals cannot be met, and feedback cannot be used to make adjustments and improvements. As a student, being involved in these groups during your education will help to develop the social skills needed in any profession.
