Discourses and Social Languages

The Lesson

Outcomes:

• SW define and clarify distinctions between discourse and social language.
• SW determine different locations that they share discourse with classmates and colleagues.
• SW determine norms for communication in various locations, justifying these norms based on the rhetorical situation and exigencies of the location.

Lesson:

1. Review discourse and social language with students. Discuss with them how language might vary depending on audience, subject, and purpose.
2. Students can complete norms for different settings for discourse. Locations will be dependent upon what the instructor has planned for the course, but may include learning platforms, Twitter accounts, formal writing assignments, discussion board posts, in-class discussions, etc.
3. The instructor can go over with students the norms they came up with and use this to then create class-wide norms for each location where students will share discourse and engage in social language with each other.
   1. Instructors should reinforce the more casual setting of Twitter, the slightly more formal setting of discussion boards (while still being a place to try out new ideas and ask questions), and the formal setting of academic writing. Instructors can also reinforce that all settings should be places where peers are respected and appropriate, inclusive language should be used.
      1. If using a Twitter account for the class, the instructor might discuss with students the specific things they'd like to see through Twitter. This may include class-related questions, sharing school-wide events, resources that can help students, etc.

Assessment:

Students will show understanding of discourse and social language plus the rhetorical situation of different discourse in their composition class by creating and justifying class norms (see handout).

Lesson Materials