James Gee theorizes in his article that, “Discourses are ways of being in the world; they are forms of life which integrates words, acts, values, beliefs, attitudes, and social identities as well as gestures, glances, body positions, and clothes (Gee,6)”. Gee’s theory of Discourse is extremely useful because he is shedding light that language is so more than the words we speak. He is claiming that language can be expanded to all of our social interactions, into Discourses

 

Amy Cuddy asks her audience in her TED Talk that, “I want to say to you, don’t fake it till you make it. Fake it till you become it. Do it enough until you actually become it and internalize(Cuddy 19:03)”. I agree that one should fake it until they become and internalize it because my experience is that people are capable of great things. Cuddy is proposing that we should do just that, change ourselves for the better and I couldn’t agree more.

 

In Literacy, Discourse, and Linguistics: Introduction, Gee claims that, “Discourses cannot readily be taught, and cannot be readily mastered late in the game (12)”. I believe that Gee is mistaken because he overlooks human determination and capability. He is claiming that people are not capable of overcoming the challenges he is proposing, and I feel he is limiting human will.

 

Gee says that, “The lack of fluency may very well mark you as a pretender to the social role instantiated in the Discourse. (Gee 10)”. I agree that a lack of fluency when interacting with a Discourse is challenging , but I cannot agree that it is impossible to be capable of interactions in a Discourse without fluency. If someone isn’t fully fluent, they aren’t a pretender, they’re a student of the Discourse.

 

My Stance	Gee	Cuddy
Agree	“Discourses are ways of being in the world; they are forms of life which integrates words, acts, values, beliefs, attitudes, and social identities as well as gestures, glances, body positions, and clothes. (6) I agree with Gee on what a Discourse is. I agree that Discourses apply more to how people act socially and that Discourses better defines how people act rather than language. Template: Gee’s theory of Discourse is extremely useful because he is shedding light that language is so more than the words we speak.	“I want to say to you, don’t fake it till you make it. Fake it till you become it. Do it enough until you actually become it and internalize. (19:03)” I agree with Cuddy’s idea because she is saying that one can overcome challenges to join a Discourse. She is saying that people can fail until they achieve their goals. Template: I agree that one should fake it until they become and internalize it because my experience is that people are capable of great things.
Disagree	“Discourses cannot readily be taught, and cannot be readily mastered late in the game. (12)” I disagree with Gee’s idea because he is putting a limitation on human capability. He is saying something is impossible but based on my personal experiences, he is limiting what people are capable of. Template: I believe that Gee is mistaken because he overlooks human determination and capability.
Agree, with a Difference	“The lack of fluency may very well mark you as a pretender to the social role instantiated in the Discourse. (10)” I agree that fluency helps one blend into a Discourse, but I cannot agree that the lack of fluency in a Discourse is a black mark on someone. If someone isn’t fully fluent, they aren’t a pretender, they’re a student of the Discourse. Template: I agree that a lack of fluency when interacting with a Discourse is challenging , but I cannot agree that it is impossible to be capable of interactions in a Discourse without fluency.