Understand the discourse community and its importance
As an experienced conversationalist who has handled verbal words since he was a young child, he moves easily from one group of people to another, adjusting his tone, vocabulary, and syntax accordingly. Often without thinking about it, you speak differently to your parents than you do to your teachers, and differently to both groups when you’re alone with your friends. You wouldn’t dream of using the same speech patterns in the locker room and in the church sanctuary.
Most writers understand the concept of an audience and why it’s important to understand who your audience is when composing. However, simply understanding the “who” of your audience is only the beginning for seasoned writers. Effective writing, writing that works and conveys its intended message and effect, must fit within the discourse community it is intended to serve.
What is a discursive community? A discourse community is a group of people who “speak the same language” or, in other words, people who share an interest in certain topics, share a body of knowledge about those topics, and possess a common vocabulary for discussing those topics. Have you ever been with a group of people who shared a common passion that you knew nothing about? Maybe it’s a particular sport or activity, an artistic talent, or a job, but without sharing that same passion, you’ll probably have a hard time following their conversation. That’s because you’re not a member of that discursive community. While they speak the same language as you, English, the context of the speech community changes the way the language is used, as well as the content of that language.
You already belong to various speech communities as a result of your family, ethnic, and religious background, as well as your personal interests and activities. Students enter the larger discourse community of the institution they attend, as well as numerous smaller discourse communities within that institution, including specific classrooms, clubs and organizations, and institution careers and programs. Smaller discursive communities can also enter within it. For example, in a hospital a nurse may belong to the discursive community of the hospital, the nursing staff, and the Emergency Department.
So why is it important for writers to consider discursive community?
Discourse is a more extensive and formal conversation or discussion of our ideas, either in oral or written form. Speech is important as this is how we communicate in the social world in which we live and work. The social groups in which we communicate are called communities. A community is a group of people connected by a common goal or purpose. So, a discursive community is a social group that is involved in the discourse.
When you participate in a discourse community, you need to understand what language is used, how the language is used, what knowledge is generally held within the community, and what motivates and interests the community. Understanding the discourse community extends beyond simply knowing its audience and purpose: it means understanding what words to use, how to frame those words into units (sentences, paragraphs, etc.), and what information members of the community already possess.
Once you understand the concept of discursive community and start applying it to your writing, you will immediately see an increase in the effectiveness of your writing. Then you can start making informed decisions about every aspect of your writing, from word choice, grammar, and sentence/paragraph construction to tone and level of formality.