Discourse communities have been a struggle for me throughout my college existence. No…wait…I take that back. It’s been a struggle ever since I begin schooling. The most recent examples come from my college life, but I’m sure that with some deep soul searching and remembering aides I’d be able to recall experiences from my younger days.
Bartholomae wrote about how difficult it can be for students to learn and understand these discourse communities and how awkward it can be for them to “invent the university.”
The most current example comes from my Zoology classes. I cannot recall having a class that has been so difficult for me to understand what is going on. The terminology and ways things are explained baffled me at the beginning and still can cause me much pain and irritation. I remember the questions posed by instructors and the way tests were worded. I just didn’t understand what the crap was going on. It took a lot of time and studying. I had to spend hours in the library reading the textbook and going online just to try and figure out what was going on.
And that does not include all of the labs. I remember my first few times in the labs. I didn’t know what to do or how to do it. It wasn’t because the instructors didn’t’ explain, it was because I wasn’t a “member” of the discourse community and I had an extremely difficult time trying to gain my “membership.”
I mostly dealt with English and math in school. Biology and those subjects never really interested me in high school. When I got to college, I became very interested in those fields and have had a hard time keeping up ever since.
I can relate to the students who Bartholomae used as examples in his writing. I remember trying to use the jargon and lingo of the discourse community, and often I fell on my face and felt like a complete idiot. It took time, but gradually I became more comfortable with it. As time has gone on, I still face the challenge of learning to assimilate into this community, but I’ve learned to just do my best and try even if I make a fool of myself every once in a while.
School isn’t the only place I have had to learn a new discourse. When I lived in Hawaii I had to learn a new discourse. Everyone spoke differently and I felt like the most out of place haole (the Hawaiian way of referring to a Caucasian) in the world. It took a while before I felt comfortable with the culture and like I was beginning to fit in (even though people as white as me have a hard time being inconspicuous). The point is that it can be very difficult to dive into the middle of something you have no knowledge about. These discourse communities require a lot out of the newcomers. I have found that the only way to “belong” is to learn by experience, which requires falling on your face every once in a while.
Bartholomae wrote about how difficult it can be for students to learn and understand these discourse communities and how awkward it can be for them to “invent the university.”
The most current example comes from my Zoology classes. I cannot recall having a class that has been so difficult for me to understand what is going on. The terminology and ways things are explained baffled me at the beginning and still can cause me much pain and irritation. I remember the questions posed by instructors and the way tests were worded. I just didn’t understand what the crap was going on. It took a lot of time and studying. I had to spend hours in the library reading the textbook and going online just to try and figure out what was going on.
And that does not include all of the labs. I remember my first few times in the labs. I didn’t know what to do or how to do it. It wasn’t because the instructors didn’t’ explain, it was because I wasn’t a “member” of the discourse community and I had an extremely difficult time trying to gain my “membership.”
I mostly dealt with English and math in school. Biology and those subjects never really interested me in high school. When I got to college, I became very interested in those fields and have had a hard time keeping up ever since.
I can relate to the students who Bartholomae used as examples in his writing. I remember trying to use the jargon and lingo of the discourse community, and often I fell on my face and felt like a complete idiot. It took time, but gradually I became more comfortable with it. As time has gone on, I still face the challenge of learning to assimilate into this community, but I’ve learned to just do my best and try even if I make a fool of myself every once in a while.
School isn’t the only place I have had to learn a new discourse. When I lived in Hawaii I had to learn a new discourse. Everyone spoke differently and I felt like the most out of place haole (the Hawaiian way of referring to a Caucasian) in the world. It took a while before I felt comfortable with the culture and like I was beginning to fit in (even though people as white as me have a hard time being inconspicuous). The point is that it can be very difficult to dive into the middle of something you have no knowledge about. These discourse communities require a lot out of the newcomers. I have found that the only way to “belong” is to learn by experience, which requires falling on your face every once in a while.
posted by Derek Stout at 10:13 AM
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