Reading Response #15

Summary and Synthesis:

     In "Literacy, Discourse, and Linguistics," written by James Paul Gee, Gee examines discourse and comes up with his own definition of the term. He discusses and differentiates between language and grammar and also makes a point to show how a discourse is not just a thing, it is a way of being, and in turn a way of life.

     Gee's article relates to Swales' article. Both authors discusses discourse and its importance. They each give their own definitions and examples of discourse and how it plays out in the literary world.



Getting Ready to Read:

     Two activities that I take part in are playing the guitar and playing lacrosse. These two activities are very separate. For instance, one is a sport and the other is strictly from the music world. When it comes to playing the guitar, there is in a way a distinct "language." Music is a language within itself. It is a skill and a way of reading and writing that must be learned and mastered. People who are unfamiliar with music theory or with instruments will likely have trouble understanding exactly how it works.
     With lacrosse, the team speaks to each other in certain ways. Players communicate and say specific words or phrases that must be interpreted by the other teammates in order to understand what exactly is going on and what should be done. This is also a language within itself.
     These two activities do not really influence each other. I use certain specific skills and languages with both. They remain separate and do not have much of an impact on one another.



Questions for Discussion and Journaling;

1. Gee is trying to say that even if your grammar is essentially "perfect," it depends largely on how you say something. In school, I was always taught that grammar was everything and that it had to be near perfect, and that if it wasn't we were not very good writers. It is sad because we know now that this isn't true. Grammar does not have to be perfect, and even the best of grammar doesn't necessarily equate for a good piece of written work.



My thoughts:

     I definitely enjoyed this piece more than Swales' article. It was a lot easier to understand and much more interesting. I felt like I could relate to it on a whole different level, and I did not feel this way with Swales'.