Conventions: What are three specific conventions associated with the discourse of your topics?

Topic 1: Servers

1. Fully understanding the menu and what consists of each
2. Proficient communication skills. We might only get 2-3 minutes to communicate with our table before heading to the next.
3. Working in a highly stressful environment.

Topic 2: Astrology  

1. Being aware of your astrology chart (birth chart), what time were you born and where.
2. Being able to identify where your sun, moon, and rising signs are located on your chart.
3. Understand your Sun Sign (start sign).

Topic 3: Spanglish

1. Speaking both English and Spanish
2. Mixing both English and Spanish vocabulary while speaking or writing.
3. Partake in conversation with other individuals who understand and speak the language

 

Discourse community: Can you describe two memories in which you joined in conversation with members of the discourse community associated with these topics?

Topic 1: Hospitality Service

• I have worked in almost all areas associated with the hospitality industry. I communicate with various members of this community all the time. Some that have made serving their career, and others who are passing by.
• Ihop: would help me describe individuals who dedicated their life to making customers happy
• Hampton Hills: would help me describe young college students who are only there for a summer

Topic 2: Astrology

1. A year ago, I sat down with a person who was fascinated by their birth chart. We spent hours talking about our sun signs and how accurate they were.
2. A few months ago, I reached out to an individual who did birth chart readings. She fascinated me with her accuracies and knowledge of the subject.

 

Topic 3: Spanglish

1. My sister and I have spoken Spanglish since we were 6 and 5. Initially, because we were learning English and now because it’s a way of life. The language has become part of our culture.
2. Just now my roommate and I got lost in conversation about our families. We talked about the use of Spanglish and how it’s the way we communicate with others who Spanish speaking individuals. There is no way to chismosear without uncorrupting Spanglish.

 

Literacy sponsor: Can you describe two specific ways in which a literacy sponsor has introduced you to the discourse communities and/or conventions of these topics?

Topic 1: Back in 2016 I was trained by Jose. He worked at IHop for years, and he knew everything there was to know about serving. He introduced me to the small concepts related to good services and the bigger concepts with regards to the BOH (back of the house).

 

Topic 2: My best friend first introduced me to astrology back in 2014. She has been a believer for the longest time. She encouraged me to research and understand the time of my birth.

 

Topic 3: The Spanglish discourse community is not really something you find or someone helps you find, rather it finds you. By that I mean, Spanglish is not only a way of speaking rather it is a way of living. You grow up in it without realizing. Maybe you could consider my freshman Spanish Language Arts teacher a literacy sponsor. She made all of us aware of how lucky we were to speak not one but two languages.