Literacy, Discourse, and Linguistics

In the article, “Literacy, Discourse, and Linguistics” James Paul Gee explains the concept that he introduces, which is that discourse communities involve constant “tests”.  These tests are things that are given individuals in order to decipher who is a “native” and who is a “non- native”.  By this Gee means who is a member of the community and who is an outsider.  Members of the primary discourse are the members of the discourse community that gives the “tests”, and members of secondary discourse are people that do not pass those “tests”.  He emphasizes in his article that those tests act as the “gates” into the primary discourse community.  If the tests are passed the gates are opened and vice versa.  He also says, “Social groups will not usually give their social goods to those who are not native” (WAW 487).  With this he is saying that people in the primary communities do not like to interact and contribute socially with those who do not pass the “tests” or get through the “gates”.

The best example that I can apply to the tests that Gee talks about involves my former sorority on campus.  The members of the sorority would make up the primary discourse community.  These members have knowledge and traditions that are specific only to members of that community.  Someone who would try to pose as a member would have to be able to correctly identify and define those traditions and knowledge in order to open the “gate” (along with going through recruitment).  I think the concept that Gee introduces is interesting because it definitely does apply to all discourse communities.