During Wednesday's class meeting, I'd like to focus on "academic discourse"--a term that is often used but difficult to define.
Find a group to work with and pursue the questions below in some fashion. Aim at creating a complicated definition of academic discourse, in which you respond to ideas from Bartholomae and at least two other theorists we’ve read in Cross-Talk.
(The following questions contain some redundancy; one version of a question may make sense to you while another may not.)
*What is the context for academic discourse?
*What is the purpose of academic discourse?
*Who decides what it is and is not?
*Who or what is included in academic discourse?
*Who or what is excluded from academic discourse?
*What are the prevailing patterns of this discourse?
*What are the prevailing topics of this discourse?
*What are the prevailing styles?
*What are the prevailing methods of making an argument?
*How do you know academic discourse when you see it, or when you don't see it?
*What exceptions can you think of to all the generalizations you've made so far?
*How have you learned academic discourse; to what extent have you learned it?
Post your definition as a comment below.
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4 comments:
There's something about academic discourse that we both understand and do not understand while agreeing with and disagreeing with at the same time. Academic discourse is meant to engage people on a particular/specialized level. It is not meant to create bastard discourse, it is supposed to be a tool to help students assimilate into many different types of discourse. What is difficult about this, however, is ultimately writers mimic the academic style of others in an attept to seem like they are part of the discourse community. Bartholomae might argue that this is the bridge into becoming part of the community. However, it is hard for us to see the difference between mimicing the style and plagarism, which we are constantly told is wrong. That said, we are not sure how to bridge the gap between everyday discourse and academic discourse(s).
Kara, Meghann, Katie, Susan
Lindsay, Brett, Sheena, Jeanne
Since academic discourse can be messy, our defintion of it is. Academic discourse happens in classrooms, the opinions and conversations in collaberative learning discussions. The people involved in this discourse need to be in an active search and discovery of learning. They must also not be afraid to take longer, “messier” way to get to an answer. The participants decide what academic discourse is and if they’re involved in one (if they have knowledge of what academic discourse is). The modes and channels of learning (text, blogs, etc), students and the professor are involved in this discourse. Outside the specific discourse, everyone else is discluded from it because they’re not participating in it. In order for this discourse to be successful, we may refer back to Bruffee’s collabertive learning essay because everyone needs to be actively involved in an academic discourse. One pattern/style of this discourse is specialized vocabulary, referring to the author’s own language and to the language of others and being able to address the invoked audience. This links back to Ede and Lunsford’s article that ultimately says the main task of the writer is to use the semantic/syntactic language resources of language to give the reader cues to help define the role the writer wants the reader to possess. Academic discourse is NOT knowledge-telling because that sort of spitting out information engaged in bastard discourse.
Maria, Crystal, Luke, Safia & Sydney!
Academic Discourse: starts within a classroom, or some place of learning but it can evolve into other forms such as a journal, website, or novel. It is part of a search for knowledge and being a participant of a discourse community. Part of what makes academic discourse unique is that in different content areas arguments are made in a variety of ways i.e. criticizing, persuading, and inductive/deductive reasoning. It is a level of intellectual conversation dealing with the specific academic area one is writing about/for. It is learned by professors, experts and through observations and mimicking the area of study. A writer is assimilated into very specific academic discourse or their ideas are ignored or minimalized. Ede and Lunsford discussed audience invoked and addressed audience in their article and one way that it applies to academic discourse is pointing out struggles new students might have fitting into the academic community. A student will try to write for their professor but may have problems invoking an audience that fits with the audience they are addressing and their focus strictly on their professor will leave out any other members of the academic community. Students may even struggle to understand who else might be interested in their thoughts because they are stuck into the mindset that they are writing the paper for a grade. Graff and Birkenstein templates will provide writers with a model of how to enter the academic discourse community. When students follow that model, it provokes others to respond.
Through our discussion and analysis our definition of academic discourse is: a conversation that takes place in a learning environment that encourages participants to search established knowledge and contribute their own ideas and opinions to that body of knowledge.
*What is the context for academic discourse?
The context for academic discourse is a virtual classroom of sorts, where knowledge is exchanged and compared and combined into (written) product. All the knowledge is put into one “pot” and molded into recognizable material that other members of a discourse community will relate to. They will recognize that the writer has authority on the subject or is attempting to do so. The writer must make an attempt to master the “language” of whatever discourse community he is appealing to. (for example, the literary community)
*What is the purpose of academic discourse?
The purpose is to both to gain and convey knowledge. In some cases, it will be to further the knowledge of members of the discourse community who are not as educated.
*Who decides what it is and is not? The members of the discourse community decide what it is and what it is not, with emphasis on members who have been part of the discourse community for a long while and are considered knowledgeable on the topic. While readers may be able to offer input into what it is, deference is given to the more experienced members.
*Who or what is included in academic discourse? A writer is included in the academic discourse when he is comfortable with his audience and has ease of the subject matter, as suggested by Bartholomae. He may need to have some knowledge of the subject but as long as he is willing to learn the language of the particular discourse community, he will gain acceptance. Some members of the group suggested he should write with an “authoritative voice,” even if he not that familiar with the content of the community. A sincere desire to participate in the community is recommended but a mastery of language may convince most audiences. Speaking and writing are skills that all possess before becoming part of a discourse community. However, mastery of these involves learning which is an ongoing process.
*Who or what is excluded from academic discourse? Those who are not students are generally excluded from academic discourse. Individuals must be of a certain maturity to participate in a discourse community. Individuals must be active participants in the community to get the most out of it. Less willing individuals are typically not excluded from academic discourse, but they take away less from the experience.
*What are the prevailing patterns of this discourse? Exchange of knowledge (through discussion, writing) in an authoritative voice is an prevailing pattern. This exchange is often part of an ongoing and changing conversation.
*What are the prevailing topics of this discourse? Anything of interest in academia can be a topic. Different types of academic writing need a discourse of their own for discussion, research, and theory.
*What are the prevailing styles? Written work, debate, and speeches seem to be the prevailing styles of most academic discourse.
*What are the prevailing methods of making an argument? Members of an academic discourse tend to use “commonplaces” as a means of making an argument. The commonplaces are for the reader, to orient him to the type of discourse he is participating with. It is also a starting point that has need of references and interpretation on the part of the reader. The purpose is to start discussion.
*How do you know academic discourse when you see it, or when you don't see it? Depending on the definition of what academic discourse is, a reader may see academic discourse in a group discussion, in a classroom, or in any other number of places. When a person fails to see academic discourse, it is usually in a situation where an exchange of ideas is occurring but no one is listening.
*What exceptions can you think of to all the generalizations you've made so far?
*How have you learned academic discourse; to what extent have you learned it?
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