CL 9/12

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  1. How does Swales explain what he means when he writes that speech communities are centripetal while discourse communities are centrifugal? (471) When Swales says that speech communities are centripetal, he’s explaining that they absorb people in a more general way. Speech community draws people in and its inherited by birth, accident or adoption. Discourse communities are centrifugal because they can separate into occupational/special-interest groups. Discourse communities push people apart from their previous speech community based on goals or occupation.  
  2. According to Swales, what are the six defining characteristics of a discourse community? (471-473) 1. Discourse communities has a broadly agreed set of common public goals. 2. It has mechanisms of intercommunication among its members. 3 Discourse uses mechanisms to provide information or feedback. 4. It utilizes & posses 1 or more genre’s in the communicative furtherance of its aim. 5. In addition to genres, it’s acquired specific lexis or common ground/vocabulary. 6. Has threshold level of members with suitable degree of relevant content and expertise.
  3. In your own words, what does Swales point out as the problems of the concept of discourse community? (478) It can have some contradiction if you don’t have enough evidence to prove a lexis exists . Another problem is that it can be removed from reality. People inside the community might not see reality beyond their designated bubble. Not everyone has the common goal, splits can happen because of this.
  1. The gap in this conversation is to get people to participate in this conversation about the nature of discourse communities/how it evolves. Along with recognizing the differences between discourse and speech communities.
  2. This piece fills the gap by explaining the differences between a speech community and discourse community in depth. Not only by definition but what takes place in these communities, how they work, and the nature of each type of communication between its members.
  3. The audience for this piece is aimed at higher level English teachers, aka his own discourse community.
  4. The danger of an essay like this is that it’s aimed towards a very audience.

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