January 2021

I feel like I am more of structured writer. I write better when I have a set prompt compared to freewriting. Generating my own ideas has been something I have always struggled with. Last semester, I was so proud of my MP assignment. I spent a lot of time on it and was confident in the work I had done. This semester I hope to strengthen the overall structure of my writing. I can do this by increasing my vocabulary to make my essays seem more academic. I can also work on choosing credible sources as well as learn the proper format for works cited pages. I am typically a fast learner, picking up on things the first time they are shown to me. However, I do struggle with reading comprehension of reading sometimes, so it is easier for me to hear instructions from my teacher, and understand it rather than trying to understand on my own.

Ann Johns writes about the many different discourse communities. An individual is born into communities such as religion and class, but Johns focuses more on the chosen communities based on an individuals interests, politics, and profession. These essentially fall into three categories: Social, Political and Recreational, Professional, and Academic. Social, political, and recreational communities include sports clubs, hobby groups, activist groups, and more. The professional community is based off of an individuals career choice. The community that they belong to will share similar basics. Academic communities include the school you attend, classes you take, and degree you hold. Discourse communities often overlap, sharing a broad category and branching into more specific communities. Within a community, the individual is in a mutual relationship: giving and receiving. For example, Johns family is a member of many groups including the local art museum and theatre production. They donate money, time, and support to these groups and in return they receive their publications and attend functions. Throughout ones life, they may be a member of many communities at once, often becoming more and less involved with old and new groups as time goes on.

Listed below are a few of the discourse communities I associate myself with.

Social, political, recreational:

-LGBTQ+

-Feminists

-AARP (social security/taxes)

Professional:

-PrePharmacy

Academic:

-Ole Miss Students

-FASTrack

In highschool, I took Spanish 1 and 2. I never had the opportunity to practice these skills outside of the classroom though. That was until I got a job working at Raising Canes. In my time there, many Spanish speaking families would come through attempting to order with the very little English they were familiar with, or having their young child translate for them. I was able to assist these customers by applying the foreign language class I had taken in highschool, into the real world. This was the only continuation of Spanish I had after the class. Although it was difficult and often felt uncomfortable to me to be attempting to speak a different language, it made me realize a lot of things. Non English speakers in America are often viewed as uneducated or inferior to English speakers, when it is truly just a different way of speaking. I am uncomfortable trying to speak Spanish to that one family, but imagine how that family feels trying to speak Spanish surrounded by judgemental English only speakers.

For most of the questions, my number answers ranged from 4-7. I feel most uncomfortable using primary and secondary resources in my writing because I am unsure of the differences between the two. I am most confident changing my stance with credible evidence as well as considering my genre and audience before research or presentation. I form strong opinions of topics, but I still keep an open mind to any new material. Considering genre and audience before researching better helps the writer or speaker appeal to them. I was taught from grade school for a source to be credible, the researcher must confirm the info with three other sources as well as checking the authors’ credentials.