- Gee explains that apprentices often have to use Discourses before they’re fully fluent in it (9). He also explains that no one can “engage in a Discourse in a less than fully fluent manner…[without] announcing [that] you don’t have that identity, that at best you’re a pretender or a beginner” (9-10).
In most cases Discourse is needed to be use before you master them. This is due to the time and experience that it takes to acquire a good discourse. “Discourses (and therefore literacies) are not like languages in one very important regard. Someone can speak english, but not fluently. However, someone cannot engage in a Discourse in less than fully fluent manner. You are either in it or you’re not.”Gee (9) With this said by Gee it is showing how much practice and time it takes to be good at certain discourses. If a hispanic woman comes up to you and only knows 15 to 50 english words you can tell that she does not know english well. This is just like discourses. You can’t fake them either you have them or you don’t. When I was learning ASL (American Sign Language) I was not fluent at it and I am still not. A way that helped me understand this discourse was the connection to the written language that it has. It is a lot like written english so I was able to connect one discourse to another. This is how you learn and acquire discourses. Like most classes there was a teacher who is this case the the master of the discourse. And like every other discourse you need a master to show you the apprentice how to learn and acquire that discourse. With time and practice with my master I was able to fit into the ASL Discourse more day by day.
- Gee explains that the “superficial features [of a Discourse] are the best test as to whether one was apprenticed in the ‘right’ place, at the ‘right’ time, with the ‘right’ people. Such superficial features are exactly the parts of Discourses most impervious to overt instruction and are only fully mastered when everything else in the Discourse is mastered. Since these Discourses are used as ‘gates’ to ensure that the ‘right’ people get to the ‘right places in our society, such superficial features are ideal” (11).
“superficial features [of a Discourse] are the best test as to whether one was apprenticed in the ‘right’ place, at the ‘right’ time, with the ‘right’ people. Such superficial features are exactly the parts of Discourses most impervious to overt instruction and are only fully mastered when everything else in the Discourse is mastered. Since these Discourses are used as ‘gates’ to ensure that the ‘right’ people get to the ‘right places in our society, such superficial features are ideal” (11) This is a true statement by Gee. I believe that everything happens for a reason and it might take a lifetime to understand why or to find out why but they due simple happen for a reason. Sometimes you just aren’t at the right place at the right time like discourses. In some cases you are needed to be able to learn certain discourses quicker than others and if you can’t keep up then you are out of it. You also need to be with the right people at the right time. I want to become a college football coach and i believe that I am at the right place, at the right time, with the right people. I say this because this is a start up program in its beginning years. This looks very good on a resume to any employer and especially other coaches and schools. I believe I am with the right people because i have the chance to work with people who have been around division 1 football for over 30 years and this is the discourse I am attempting to enter I have a multiple masters of the discourse of being a coach at my fingertips. Most apprentices have 1 master in my case I have over 8 that are very excited on working with me and this goes both ways.
