The Purpose Of My Discourse
Do I Fit in? Years and years go by as people who are new to American society try to adjust to changes in lifestyle. Since America was built on a basis of immigrants I know I am not the first to ask the question “Do I fit in?” There are many stories, but I am only covering the topic of my background and my Discourse. I will disclose my social habits of my Discourse I use day to day but not at school. When I use the word “Discourse” it is the combination of of saying, writing, doing, being, valuing, and believing. All the words use to describe social gatherings covered by the author James Paul Gee in his Article “Literacy, Discourse, and Linguistics: Introduction.” Discourse is capitalized because the lowercase means connected stretches of language that make sense. The Discourse I use and will talk about is my family Discourse. The purpose of my Discourse community is being formal and respectful as if you are in a restaurant. This group exists because it is what I was born in, no choice but it’s just that I was born in it. It teaches me how to behave in the world outside or so of what my parents say. Now that I am used to these teachings it often makes me think that so many people I meet are rude because of their daily conversations with friends. There are pros and cons of me using this Discourse surprisingly. The pros being that I will make
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friends easier. The cons being that those friends or other people will take advantage of it. Believe it or not, some people would rather hear me talk a different way. Other people will make assumptions that it is how my country speaks. Some people compliment me, but I have heard compliments that were meant to be insulting. Either way I have grown to accept the remarks good or bad. My father tells me I will find better jobs than most, if I continue talking the way I do. The title of this essay is not just for show. I noticed that things were oddly different in school for me. In kindergarten, I never had a friend because it was so different than what I normally see in my home. Sometimes kids would use adult language I never heard of. They would talk about T.V. programs I haven’t seen. So I had made another Discourse with newly friends. Each group of friends has different Discourses they use with their other friends. I did this so often I have lost track of my primary Discourse a lot. Sooner than later realizing I was just an ordinary friend to most of my groups of friends. We never did more talking than just school and I was not invited to social gatherings like party’s even when I planned them. The genres in my family Discourse may be weird to most and a little difficult to explain. Just like how every country has a certain way they use their language that can change based on how the tone they put it in. In America you have sarcasm, or in Japanese you can say idiot and turn it into a swear word. Just like in America if your full name gets called out (First Middle and Last) you will know you are in trouble. If something bad happens in my family, they will often yell and we everyone will know something disturbing has happened. This is hard to tell because my parents sound like they are yelling when they talk normally. If my name was called normal I will know it is about a chore or favor, maybe information I will need to know. If they yelled it at the top of their lungs, I would know I am about to have my ears go deaf from getting yelled at. You may have guessed that the “old timers” in the Discourse are the parents. I also have plenty of uncles and aunts that speak the same way. I hear a lot of their language they use, even though I do not know the language I still understand what they are talking about. Before, when I said they sound like they are yelling when they talk normally, it applies to whomever they are talking to on the phone (if it is family). They often argue on the phone and when they don’t it still sounds like they are. If you were a newcomer to this Discourse you will need a lot of patience and restraint. You would also need to learn the lexi of the Discourse. You would often get yelled at and when you aren’t it would still sound like you are. I have also said you would need to talk formally. If I wanted to ask a question it, would with me saying “May, you please tell me when you are ready to go take me to the mall?”
Then my mother would say “Sure, son.” I would reply with “Yes, ma’am.” It is required to say please when you are asking a question and however they respond you say “Yes, ma’am”, “No, ma’am”, “Yes, sir”, “No, sir.” Proper etiquette is a must, you have to use your right hand all the time, use a knife to cut your food with your right hand and your fork in your left, holding them both in a special position.
If you are getting yelled at you must take the insults, and you have to say excuse me after you burp, are trying to get something when someone is in the way, or if you need to talk to someone who is in a conversation
already. My Discourse community has its perks and its downsides, but I do not really like it. I cannot express my opinions like everyone else. In my view the first amendment is limited by your rank. If I try to override it the consequences will be dire. Depending on the person the shared goals will be seen differently, and in America if you do not speak with the same tongue they do you will get judged. That is not even the worst part as people often like to take advantage of your behavior if you are nice.
friends easier. The cons being that those friends or other people will take advantage of it. Believe it or not, some people would rather hear me talk a different way. Other people will make assumptions that it is how my country speaks. Some people compliment me, but I have heard compliments that were meant to be insulting. Either way I have grown to accept the remarks good or bad. My father tells me I will find better jobs than most, if I continue talking the way I do. The title of this essay is not just for show. I noticed that things were oddly different in school for me. In kindergarten, I never had a friend because it was so different than what I normally see in my home. Sometimes kids would use adult language I never heard of. They would talk about T.V. programs I haven’t seen. So I had made another Discourse with newly friends. Each group of friends has different Discourses they use with their other friends. I did this so often I have lost track of my primary Discourse a lot. Sooner than later realizing I was just an ordinary friend to most of my groups of friends. We never did more talking than just school and I was not invited to social gatherings like party’s even when I planned them. The genres in my family Discourse may be weird to most and a little difficult to explain. Just like how every country has a certain way they use their language that can change based on how the tone they put it in. In America you have sarcasm, or in Japanese you can say idiot and turn it into a swear word. Just like in America if your full name gets called out (First Middle and Last) you will know you are in trouble. If something bad happens in my family, they will often yell and we everyone will know something disturbing has happened. This is hard to tell because my parents sound like they are yelling when they talk normally. If my name was called normal I will know it is about a chore or favor, maybe information I will need to know. If they yelled it at the top of their lungs, I would know I am about to have my ears go deaf from getting yelled at. You may have guessed that the “old timers” in the Discourse are the parents. I also have plenty of uncles and aunts that speak the same way. I hear a lot of their language they use, even though I do not know the language I still understand what they are talking about. Before, when I said they sound like they are yelling when they talk normally, it applies to whomever they are talking to on the phone (if it is family). They often argue on the phone and when they don’t it still sounds like they are. If you were a newcomer to this Discourse you will need a lot of patience and restraint. You would also need to learn the lexi of the Discourse. You would often get yelled at and when you aren’t it would still sound like you are. I have also said you would need to talk formally. If I wanted to ask a question it, would with me saying “May, you please tell me when you are ready to go take me to the mall?”
Then my mother would say “Sure, son.” I would reply with “Yes, ma’am.” It is required to say please when you are asking a question and however they respond you say “Yes, ma’am”, “No, ma’am”, “Yes, sir”, “No, sir.” Proper etiquette is a must, you have to use your right hand all the time, use a knife to cut your food with your right hand and your fork in your left, holding them both in a special position.
If you are getting yelled at you must take the insults, and you have to say excuse me after you burp, are trying to get something when someone is in the way, or if you need to talk to someone who is in a conversation
already. My Discourse community has its perks and its downsides, but I do not really like it. I cannot express my opinions like everyone else. In my view the first amendment is limited by your rank. If I try to override it the consequences will be dire. Depending on the person the shared goals will be seen differently, and in America if you do not speak with the same tongue they do you will get judged. That is not even the worst part as people often like to take advantage of your behavior if you are nice.