Narvaez, 1

Yessenia Narvaez
Professor Adler
English 1A #32474
8 April 2016
A Different Type of Language
Communication using language is a valuable asset used every day in life. It allows people
to express themselves constantly using different types of methods. An example of how language
is used within a certain area is a discourse community. According to John Swales, a linguistic
professor, a discourse community is an association of people that have common goals or
purposes and use communication to achieve these goals. Swales also discloses that, in order to
genuinely be considered and viewed as an actual discourse community, Swales declares that the
discourse community must follow six basic characteristics. Based on Swales The Concept of
Discourse Community, these characteristics include, common goals, participatory
mechanisms, information exchange, community specific genre, and a high general level of
expertise (475). A specific discourse community that follows these components is an
organization known as The American Association of Zoo Veterinarians. To give some general
background, this group first started off as a minor crowd of around two-hundred or so members,
having some of the main goals they still do now. As they started developing much further, and
started gaining more people, they then officially became known as the AAZV in August of 1960.
To determine that the AAZV is indeed a discourse community, I will discuss and evaluate some
of their primary goals, their diverse textual tools, or genres, and the terminology used to disperse
evidence that this organization falls under Swales definition of a discourse community.

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A veterinarian, for starters, Examines animals to detect the nature of diseases or

injuriesTreat sick or injured animals by prescribing medication, setting bone, dressing wounds,
or performing surgerySpecialize in a particular type of treatment such as dentistry, pathology,
nutrition, surgery, microbiology, or internal medicine (Tasks Onetonline.org). The AAZV
consists of a group of plentiful skilled veterinarians who all have different degrees such as,
epidemiology, preventative veterinary medicine, pathology, reproductive medicine and others
(About Us, AAZV.org). This is exceedingly beneficial to this group because there is a
considerable amount of knowledge within. It is not just composed of just one degree but, rather,
several sets of degrees combined. Together, these veterinarians revolve around incorporating a
larger amount of veterinarians among zoos. They believe that the well-being of both the zoo
captivated and wild animals should be one of their top priorities. In the AAZV website,
AAZV.org, they state one of their goals which is, Advancing the health and welfare of zoo
animals and wildlife through global collaboration with veterinarians, other scientists, and
organizations (About Us). They want, not only with their organization but universally, to bring
about awareness to this to transition into a different way of how zoos are organized. They want
the animals health to be a primary focus by ensuring their lives. Another goal written on the
website that they want to accomplish is, Elevating public awareness, respect, and trust for the
profession (About Us). This goal clearly represents how this organization wants to be seen.
They are giving out the impression that they want to be viewed and taken serious for what they
do. Lastly, they have a goal that states, Fostering positive interrelationships among humans,
animals and their environment (About Us). This certain objective shapes that, although the
animals health is their main essential aim, they also want to make sure that both humans and
animals can prosper together. All in all, this organization publicly presents their goals to bring

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recognition towards them so they can produce a greater chance at achieving them by bringing
about a bigger audience.
A way the AAZV exchanges, or hands out, their information to the public is by having
their own personal genre. What is a genre? Well, to be more specific, in Swales, The Concept
of Discourse Community, Swales regards a genre to be research logs, notebooks, lab
reports, conference presentations, and published scholarly papers (467). Basically, you can say a
genre is an altered way to communicate by distributing information with written language. You
can categorize it under a magazine or your own personal notes. Specifically, the AAZV
organization has a journal called the Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine which acts as a
source of expertise regarding diverse issues in zoo and wildlife medicine (About Us,
AAZV.org). They use this journal to spread the information they have found and constantly
update it. This is not only to communicate amidst the organization itself but with people all over
the world. Furthermore, by using this journal, they can also provide important material to a
separate, but familiar, groups. For instance, in their website, they mention, The Journal of Zoo
and Wildlife Medicine (JWZM) is considered one of the major sources of information on the
biology and veterinary aspects in the fieldareas of interest include clinical medicine, surgery,
anatomy, radiologythe JWZM are available on the AAZV website in foreign languages
including Arabic, Czech, German, French, Italian (Overview). Generally, this journal is
overflowing with a variety extent of information. Not only is this journal highly helpful to others,
but they even go as far as to provide it in other languages for people who are interested in this
field. Like Erik Borg, a lecturer in the English Language Centre at Northumbria University states
in Key Concepts of ELT: Discourse Community, a prototypical discourse community
might be a society of stamp collectors scattered around the world. The collectors never gather

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together physically; instead a newsletter that has a particular form of text organization, making it
a genre, which they use to pursue their goals, unites them (398). In this quote, he brings out an
example of how a certain group communicated by using their own individual genre. Moreover,
he is giving an illustration of how this group generally did not even meet but rather
communicated using a newsletter to exchange information amongst one another. By providing
this example, Borg accommodates that there is more than one way to connect with others besides
through speech. This connects with the way AAZV also communicates for they are using their
own personal journal to give out information that they have required.
Because this particular organization is occupied with a numerous amount of diverse
veterinarians, there will be a certain set of language that they will specifically use in order to
interact with each other. This precise and distinct lexis is primarily used so others of the same
vocation can fully understand a task given to them when working. But, of course, only the
members that fall under this profession will be able to essentially recognize and comprehend this
authentic terminology because they have the general knowledge needed in order to actually
interpret what is being said. Without a doubt, people unfamiliar of the lexis used will only find it
oddly confusing and troublesome for they will not understand the terms that are being
exchanged. In regards to the people affiliated in the AAZV, they must know various expressions
within their medical dictionary. For instance, they must know that hemilaminectomy means the
removal of vertebral lamina on one side only (Veterinary Medical Terminology, vspn.org).
They must also identify that a pseudopregnancy means a false pregnancy and that leukopenia
means a Reduction of the number of leukocytes (white blood cells) in the blood (Veterinary
Medical Terminology). Not only do they have to comprehend these extremely challenging
words, but they must also be able to decipher what certain acronyms used mean as well. In other

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words, these veterinarians must know that ACT means activated clotting time, that CF
means either cardiac failure or complement fixation, FeLV means feline leukemia virus
and the list goes on and on (Veterinary Abbreviations & Acronyms, Peteducation.com). These
abbreviations are used within the job when it comes down to describing what, if any, tools will
be used in either laboratory tests, describing a disease, measuring the weight of an animal, etc.
On top of all this already complex vocabulary, they must also be able to know their
measurements. For example, they must know the difference between 1 Drop being 1/2 mL
and 1 gallon, in the imperial system means 160 fluid ounces for they will have to know how
much medicine to distribute to the animals (Weights-Measurements & Conversions,
Peteducation.com). So, since the AAZV consists of veterinarians, they are surely familiar with
these precise words and abbreviations so that when they are conversing, say in a meeting, they
are assured that the other person will be able to identify the definition of a certain word because
they are educated in them.
To become an official member of this organization, subscribing to their official
membership, whether student, retired, family member, etc., would be a way to go. You would be
able to have a year subscription to their journal, Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine. I,
personally, would be keen on joining the AAZV because the thought of working with animals
delights me and has always been a dream of mine. Being surrounded by tons of animals and
being able to be in contact and treat them is something I most definitely want to do. More so, the
AAZV is able to work with a variety of different animals. But, of course, joining this
organization is not so simple. In order for me to genuinely be a part of the AAZV, I would first
have to work intensely for I first would need to have a certain amount of knowledge in order to
join. I would at least have to have some basic knowledge that falls under any type of veterinary

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degree to be able to be a part of the AAZV. All in all, this group is full of skilled workers that can
be beneficially to me because there is a large quantity of knowledge of animals and they all
classify in working in a field that I will later want to be in in the future.

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Works Cited
"Abbreviations & Acronyms for Veterinary and Medical Terms." Pet Health Care | Dog and
Cat Behavior Information by Veterinarians. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Apr. 2016.
"About Us/Overview." American Association of Zoo Veterinarians (AAZV). N.p., n.d. Web.
8 Apr. 2016.
Borg, Erik. Key Concepts of ELT: Discourse Community 57/4 (2003): 398. Print.
"Conversion Table for Weights & Measurements." Pet Health Care | Dog and Cat Behavior
Information by Veterinarians. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Apr. 2016.
"Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine." American Association of Zoo Veterinarians (AAZV).
N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Apr. 2016.
"Summary Report For Veterinarians." O*NET OnLine. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S.
Department of Labor, 2016. Web. 8 Apr. 2016.
Swales, Johns. The Concept of Discourse Community (n.d.): 467,475. Print.
Walker Smith, Nanette, and Elizabeth Warren. "Veterinary Medical Terminology." VSPN Home. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Apr. 2016.