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

Topic 1: Astrology 

• Understanding your zodiac sign 
• Being aware of your natal chart (sun sign,moon sign, rising sign, etc)
• Understanding how the zodiac signs are divided. (Fire signs,Earth signs,Air signs and Water signs)

Topic 2: Spanish and English Speaking Households

• Understanding that struggle of forgetting the translation of a certain word (Ex: Forgetting how to say jump in English and only being able to remember the Spanish translation)
• Constantly speaking Spanglish anywhere you go
• Constantly translating and explaining documents from English to Spanish to your family members.

Topic 3: Books (Reading)

• Being able to heavily relate to a character’s action, dialogue and mindset
• Understanding the satisfaction of finding a book that gets you out of your “reading slump.”
• Being able to escape from reality by reading

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: My aunt first introduced me to astrology when reading ma Cosmopolitan’s weekly horoscope. I started to read more about my zodiac sign and began to learn/understand my birth chart. My aunt and I then proceeded to download apps such as Costar in order to expand our knowledge on what our sun,moon, rising sign and birth chart entailed.

Topic 2: I would have to say my literacy sponsor would have to be my parents.Although Spanish is not my first language, I am now fluent thanks to my parents. My parents constantly speak a mix of English and Spanish at home and because of that, I began to improve my Spanish. It didn’t hit me that I am fluent in both until I volunteered as a translator in elementary school for Parents Night.

Topic 3: Although reading has always been a favorable pastime of mine, it didn’t necessarily become a hobby until the sixth grade. My close friend Ingrid and I started a competition between us to see who can read and write more book reports by the end of the year. It wasn’t until then that I grew an admiration for the escape reading brings me.