Hi Stefanie! I really enjoyed reading your piece as I found it interesting and easy to follow. I like that in your first paragraph you use Swale's definitions not only to inform the reader but also as a method of research Swales uses. In my mind this comes off as, "Research these 6 points to start your project." It would be a great way for many of us in the class to begin our projects by just simply beginning to answer these questions. Another strong point I see in your writing is your paragraph about differenced and similarities and specifically, "A difference in their attempts at defining a discourse community is that Wardle puts a much heavier emphasis on individuality whereas Swales deals with how the community as a whole functions." This sentence provides a clear statement of your interpretation and can also hint that you might also choose to take one of these styles in your own project. Since I did not read the Wardle piece, your statement, "More importantly Wardle does not put a time stamp on these things. It could take somebody a couple of days to be comfortable in the community and be considered an insider, or it could take a couple of months, or it could never happen," interests me. I think this is something you can take into your own project, and expand this idea, telling us what your opinion is on the topic. I also liked that you picked something specific when bringing up something that caused confusion in he piece. Something else you might what to think about for your own project would be the examples in which the two authors gather there information as it could be interesting to pick a few to try for your project. ( as in interview, experience, other sources…).
Wardle & Swales Take on Discourse Community / Discussion
This is the discussion related to the wiki page Wardle & Swales Take on Discourse Community.