Kyle Sager

UWP 1
11/29/16

Discourse Communities: The Concept and Analysis

Throughout my life, I have been a member of various groups. It could be classmates in school,
members of sports teams I played on, or even my friends. One of the groups that I find myself in
is the automotive enthusiast community. While all automotive enthusiasts have things in
common, in reality there still exists many differences amongst us. As the owner of a 1982
Volkswagen pickup truck, I find myself a part of a even more specific community within the
automotive spectrum- that of the community of Mk1 Volkswagen enthusiasts. For clarification,
Mk1 simply is a common way to refer to a VW pickup truck that shares the same body style and
was made from 1980-1983. When I became involved with this community over four years ago, I
had no idea how and in what form communication among members occurred.

Groups of individuals exist for many different reasons, some purely social, and others to
accomplish a goal. Members of a certain sports team all share a common love for that particular
sport. A group of friends enjoys each others company, ideas, and values. As Porter (1986) states
A discourse community is a group of individuals bound by a common interest who
communicate through approved channels and whose discourse is regulated. An individual may
belong to several professional, public, or personal discourse communities (p. 38-39). Being a
part of multiple discourse communities is critical for overall understanding. When I first became
involved in the Mk1 community, I lacked knowledge of how this discourse community operated.
However, I was able to utilize experiences from my other discourse communities- in particular,
automotive ones, to gain a better sense of what was being discussed and how. Now that I am a
member of this community, I realize that the automotive community as a whole is not a discourse
community. Although some lexis and methods of communication are similar, there are various

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differences that the MK1 community has, that other groups do not have in common. This leads
me to the conclusion that the Mk1 community is a unique discourse community to those with
ample knowledge of these specific vehicles because of the specific discourse used and the forms
of communication utilized.

One of Swales (Downs and Wardle, 2011) criteria for defining a discourse community is that
the community must have mechanisms of intercommunication among its members. To be part of
a discourse community, a member must actively communicate with other members (p. 471). The
VW Mk1 discourse community uses various mediums to communicate. One common method is
online forums. There are websites dedicated to VW MK1 enthusiasts, and provide many valuable
interactions within the community. There are various sections to buy and sell parts and vehicles,
ask a question on how to perform a repair, and even sections to simply discuss possible
modifications and additions to the vehicle. Forums are a great way to communicate throughout
the MK1 community, as our members are spread out across the globe. However, forums are not
the exclusive way to communicate with others. VW specific car shows are another great way to
interact with members. Since car shows take place in a fixed geographic region, members who
live in relatively close areas are able to attend, creating a sense of local community among us.
Those who enter a MK1 into the car show are obviously members of the discourse community,
as they are going to the event to show their vehicles off to other members and talk about the
work they have put into them. Those who attend can learn a lot from participating in these
discussions, and then apply that knowledge. Even if the topic at the time does not relate to my
specific project, I listen to the ideas presented. When the time comes where this information is

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relevant, the knowledge is already with me, and I do not need to ask as many questions.
However, questions will arise, and knowing where to find the proper answer is an important
skill. Figures 1 and 2 are a few examples of forums used for communication.

Figure 1: VWVortex.com forum page (2016), a common online communication forum.

Figure 2: MK1 Golf Owners Club (2016), another popular place to communicate.

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Those in a discourse community have a broadly agreed upon set of goals. This group must
exist to accomplish something, and do so in a way unique to themselves (Downs and Wardle,
2011, p.471). As a member of various VW MK1 online forums and communities, I believe this is
accomplished. By actively participating in discussions with other members, we are working
towards a common goal- to gain knowledge and ideas for use with our vehicles. This form of
communication is quite valuable for two reasons. First, a member can ask a certain question on
any topic they are unfamiliar with. Other members who are knowledgeable in that area can then
respond, teaching this member how to accomplish the task. As these dialogues occur on a forum
page, they are saved for anybody to see. As a result, other members with a similar question can
learn material not found elsewhere without even having to ask. Most of the information shared
relates to past experiences and tricks more knowledgeable members have used to successfully
complete a given task. An example of this is shown in figure 3 below.

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Figure 3: An article about replacing a MK1 engine with another model.

This information is not able to be found in other information sources such as repair manuals, and
is specific to the MK1 community. Secondly, members can ask generic topic questions, such as
what brand of suspension components other members prefer. Responses will accumulate from
others who have used a particular brand, and the deciding member can get a better idea of the
quality, price, and performance associated with each brand. One of the main reasons the VW
MK1 discourse community exists is to provide this information and feedback to members.
Without these forms of communication, members would have to acquire it in another manner, or
make an uninformed decision. This would result in members having to go through excessive

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inapplicable information to get the answer they are looking for- if it even exists. For example,
you will not be able to find any information outside of forum sources on how to repair a MK1
wiring harness connector if it is broken. Repair manuals do not cover this concept, and the
connector is specific to MK1 vehicles, eliminating other automotive information sources.
Gathering opinions on suspension components would be impossible without this communication,
as other forms of questions such as traditional surveys would be ineffective.

Swales (Downs and Wardle, 2011) also discusses the topic of genre. He states A discourse
community utilizes and hence possesses one or more genres in the communicative furtherance of
its aims (p.472). When talking with other members of my discourse community, the genre of the
discussions taking place is informal, and almost always related to the vehicles to some respect. It
is the primary subject matter and what nearly all conversations are about, in contrast with talking
with a friend, where various subjects may be brought up. The purpose of communicating with
individuals within the VW community is to discuss something related to the vehicle, and to share
ideas and information.

When communicating with other members, specific discourse is used. Gee (1989) makes the
argument that discourse is different than a discourse community, and simply using a discourse
does not necessary imply a discourse community. He states Discourses are ways of being in the
world; they are forms of life that integrate words, acts, values, beliefs, attitudes and social
identities as well as gestures, glances, body positions, and clothes (pg. 6-7.) Simply dressing,
acting, or utilizing any other form of discourse similar to those in a discourse community does
not make one a member. The individual in question must go beyond this, which often occurs

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when they are immersed in the discourse community. Often times, this immersion will happen
when the individual correctly utilizes the specific lexis of the discourse community.

All discourse communities have a specific lexis, one that is unique to the individuals who
constitute the community(Swales, Downs and Wardle, 2011 p.473). Often times, this includes
terminology that has a different meaning to those in the community. This is very accurate of my
discourse community, as many terms used are exclusive to us. To illustrate this point, figures 4
and 5 show posts by members on a popular MK1 forum, vwvortex.com.

Figure 4: An example of a post on VWVortex.com

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Figure 5: An example of a For Sale ad on VWVortex.com

Chances are, after reading the above posts you are completely lost. The discourse used is
specific to the MK1 community and those not in this discourse community will have difficulty
comprehending what is being discussed. In the first example, the member is discussing what they
are going to do to their car. Some of the language used can be understood by anybody who has
basic automotive knowledge. However, terms such as AEG 2.0 8v, 020/02J trans, and
1.6TD build are terms that are only well understood among the MK1 community. AEG 2.0 8v
means an eight valve engine originally found in a 1998-2001 VW beetle or golf. 020/02J trans is
a way of expressing goals of the members engine and transmission swap. An 020 transmission
means the stock manual transmission found in the car, and the 02J means a 5 speed manual
transmission with a specific set of gear ratios from a 1999-2004 Volkswagen Golf or Beetle. In
the other post, a member is advertising a peanut butter clamshell for sale. While this may
sound like the special at your local seafood restaurant, it is entirely different. It is actually a
upper and lower trim cover that goes over the steering column (the piece your steering wheel
attaches to) on the interior. Peanut butter is the color of the item, a term MK1 enthusiasts have

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adopted to describe an interior color that is between tan, orange, and brown- but not to be
confused with the tan interior color option.

Members choose to communicate in similar ways shown above for multiple reasons. It is
efficient to use the discourse of the MK1 community as it cuts down on words needed to express
a thought. It is also more detailed and accurate, allowing members to be on the same page when
discussing or purchasing an item. Without these terms, communication would be slower while
also increasing the likelihood of confusion or misunderstanding.

As an experienced member of the MK1 discourse community, the concept of the changing
roles in the community is well known to me. Discourse communities have changing
memberships; individuals enter as apprentices and leave by death or in other less involuntary
ways. However, survival of the community depends on a reasonable ratio between novices and
experts(Swales Downs and Wardle, 2011, p.473). Novice members, who are first exposed to the
MK1 discourse community are often overwhelmed at the terminology used and making sense of
it. As a member becomes more involved, they learn more ideas, terms, and tricks. Eventually,
they become an expert, and pass that knowledge onto other beginners. This was the case for me.
When I first started to talk with other MK1 discourse community members I was often confused
as to what they were saying, and could not contribute much to the conversations. Over time
though, through a lot of research and discussion, I acquired more knowledge. I now find myself
teaching others various tricks, suggesting new ideas, and mentoring newer or less experienced
members. As a result, I have gone from the role of the student to the role of the teacher.

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As demonstrated by the above statements and examples, the MK1 community is a discourse
community, unique to those involved. Simply being a member of the automotive speech
community does not imply one is a member of our discourse community. This is due to the
specific discourse used, the nature in which we communicate, and how ideas and thoughts are
traded between members. It is unique, as those who find themselves simply within the
automotive community will not fully understand the discourse used or the methods of
communication implemented.

Bibliography:

Borg, Eric (2003). Discourse Community. ELT Journal Volume 57/4, 10-03

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In his article, Borg discusses the basics of a discourse community from his views. He states that a
discourse community is in between a speech and interpretive community, and membership is a
matter of choice. He cites many other works in his article, especially Swales. I found it helpful as
an overview of discourse communities, it is a good starting place if one wishes to educate
themselves. It provides solid arguments, and excellent sources to back up these arguments.

Downs and Wardle. Writing about Writing. Boston: Bedford St Martins, 2011.

John Swales article is very informative about discourse communities. It lays out a set of criteria
that a community must possess to be a discourse community, but in a manner that is somewhat
difficult to understand. He uses highly academic language, and explanation of his criteria is a bit
difficult to comprehend after the first reading. However, the nature of what he says, and the
information itself, is excellent- I will lean on it heavily to make my argument for the discourse
community I am going to analyze.

Gee, James Paul. Literacy, Discourse, and Linguistics: Introduction. Journal of Education,
Vol.171-1, 1989.

Gee discusses the idea of discourse and how individuals can have multiple discourses. He goes in
depth on how these discourses overlap and interact, and why the concept of discourse has an
important place in our everyday language. He brings up the point of a primary discourse, and
then other secondary discourses. I will be using Gees work to better present my points.

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Porter, J. E. 1986. Intertextuality and the Discourse community. Rhetoric Reviews 5/I: 34-47.

I did not find the first part of Porters article to be useful to my topic, but the second part was
quite so. Although it is another scholarly piece of writing, some of the points made about
discourse communities and how they function are quite easy to comprehend. I plan on using this
source to make my arguments stronger, adding them to points made by Swales for the most part.
However, some additional criteria is present in this work, and I will incorporate these points also.

The MK1 Golf Owners Club. (2016). Retreived from http://vwgolfmk1.org.uk/index.php

This website is commonly used among members of the MK1 discourse community. Based out of
the United Kingdom, it provides useful information about MK1 vehicles, a place for members to
buy and sell parts, and news and events taking place- although mainly in the United Kingdom. It
demonstrates that the MK1 discourse community stretches across the world.

VW Vortex. (2016). Retreived from http://forums.vwvortex.com/forumdisplay.php?11-Golf-Iamp-Jetta-I

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VW Vortex is the primary communication method among members of the MK1 community. It is
a global website, and is used by almost all members. It is an excellent source of information for
news and events related to MK1s. Due to its high use, there is thousands of articles on every
imaginable subject related to a MK1 VW. It also has a popular for sale and wanted section where
members purchase and sell parts and vehicles. It is a perfect example of how the MK1 discourse
community interacts.

VW Vortex MK1 Discussion forum. (2010). Retrieved from

http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?4707830-The-Rad-Caddy-Build-Thread-W-NewImproved-ABA-5spd-Swap-Slammage!&highlight=aba+swap

While this post may lack in text at certain points, it provides valuable images to those who find
themselves with a question- in this case, about how to go about removing the motor and
installing a different model one. It is a great example of the abundance of information published
by the members of the MK1 discourse community to help out other less experienced members.

VW Vortex MK1 discussion forum. (2015). Retrieved from

http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?7457761-84-GTI-Track-Build

In this post, more MK1 specific discourse is used- it is an excellent example of this. The member
uses language that is representative of how MK1 members will talk about their plans for a

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particular vehicle. It is both informative and precise to those who speak this discourse- a perfect
addition to the points made for the Mk1 community to be a discourse community.

VW Vortex Marketplace. (2015). Retreived from http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?

7233909-FS-Peanut-butter-clamshell&highlight=peanut

This particular set of posts is a great example of some terms used by the MK1 discourse
community that are specific. It demonstrates this simply by the fact that the terms used such as
peanut butter and clamshell have meanings in the MK1 community other than those found in
the dictionary.

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