Carmen F.

Sanchez
Discourse community response

Each discourse community has its own unique way of carrying itself out within itself.
For example, each community has its own way of communication such as language,
it could range from casual to professional. My discourse communities include
volunteering, school, friends and family. Although I am a part of each community I
am required and inclined to communicate and behave in a different way in each and
every one of them.
When it comes to volunteering at a hospital I am required to behave in a
professional way because most of the time I find myself surrounded by
administrators, medical professionals, hospital staff and overall by patients and
visitors. While I am at the hospital I have specific goals I must complete such as
helping patients and visitors feel much more comfortable while in the hospital,
teach those who are incoming volunteers, make sure that we give the hospital a
good image over all. Although I am only a volunteer I realize that those who are
around me pay attention to the way I behave from the moment I am discharging a
patient to when I am eating in the cafeteria. The reason I say that those around me
pay attention to the way I behave is because at the hospital I am required to wear a
uniform, the uniform is what helps me gain the respect and attention from the
hospital staff. If I go around the hospital acting like Im at the park, I automatically
lose the respect that the uniform helps me get, I might as well not be wearing a
uniform because my actions ruin it for me, therefore its a must that I wear my
uniform with self-respect and behave in a professional way. Although the way the
hospital staff sees me is important it is also very important to pay attention to the
way I communicate with others. During volunteering hours there may be occasions
where I am sent to a floor where I will be in charge of answering phone calls and
also answering questions from different people such as staff or visitors and even
patients. While I am responsible of such task, I cant go around calling everyone
dude like I would in a casual day when I am out with friends. In a professional
setting I am required to address the staff as Maam or Sir, it signifies a form of
respect to those who are above me or older than me. By putting all these rules
together it allows me to have proper etiquette in a professional setting such as the
hospital. The common goal within my volunteering discourse community is to help
others in any way we can. In order to become a volunteer, you must first pick up an
application, submit, take a drug test, and finally go to orientation where you will be
taught the basics.
When it comes to being at school I get to be a little more casual but at the same
time I must make sure that I am showing respect towards my instructors or even to
those that are superior to me such as the university staff and administrators.
Although at school I am mostly surrounded by people who are somewhat my age, I
still find myself involved in situations that require me to be less casual about certain
things, in example when I am present in a classroom setting. Yes, I am aware that
those who are around are considered students or peers but aside from that there is

a teacher with higher authority that deserved respect along with professionalism.
For example, when I am in a classroom I am inclined to call my instructor Ms. or Mr.
followed by their last name because for some it is a sign of respect but for others it
is a proper title for them, the only exception there is to get out of calling them by
Ms. or Mr. is if the instructor clearly states that it is okay to call them by their first
name. The way I communicate with others, including those who are above me will
help me build the habit of communicating with others outside of school with
respect. The reason I am currently going to school is because I am pursuing a career
in nursing. When I become a nurse I realize that when I address patients I have to
use the professional etiquette that I learned while volunteering at the hospital, but
for that aspiration to become a reality I must educate myself mentally and
professionally. The common goal shared among school is to reach a high level of
education along with pursuing a degree in whatever field we are passionate about.
The way to become a part of this discourse community is to simply apply to Utep,
and wait to see if you get accepted.
A discourse community that in which I am completely free to behave casually is
when I am with my friends. When I am with my friends I am free to call them by
their first name and also use nicknames such as dude. The reason I am able to do
so is because Ive built strong relationships with them throughout my high school
career and for some ever before that. The reason I am able to act so casual around
them is because the close relationship is still there because of them living in the
same town as me. The language used within my friends discourse community is
very casual and in a way the complete opposite of professional. The reason why I
am part of this community is because we all share common interest and goals. A
reason why I say that we share common goals is because most of my friends are
attending college which means that we all have one common goal and that is to be
successful. The way to become a part of this discourse community is to share
common interest and goals.
My family discourse community is one that is really near and dear to my heart. My
family as a whole is pretty close even if we dont see each other as much as we
would like to. I am much closer to my mothers side of the family, because ever
since I was little my mom would always take me to visit them. Most of my mothers
side of the family lives in Mexico, because of this the only language we really speak
is Spanish. Now with my dads side of the family I am not as close with, the only
relatives that I see most often are my uncle, grandfather and cousins, and that is
only because they live in town. The rest of the family lives in Mexico, this makes it
harder to communicate with each other on a regular basis but we make it work one
way or another. The dominant language among my dads side of the family is also
Spanish. Aside from the distance, the common goal shared amongst the family is to
love a support each other no matter what. The only way to form part of this
discourse community is to simply be born into the family.
The different ways of communicating within the various discourse community shape
the way I portray myself in a variety of settings. The habits you pick up from the
different communities you form a part of help you write in the way that is expected
from you. If you are writing a research paper it is much more adequate for you to

use a professional and respectful style. When writing a creative paper, it is more
acceptable for you to use a casual tone.

Carmen F. Sanchez

Volunteer

School

Del Sol
Medical
Center

UTEP

I help
patients,
visitors, and
hospital staff
in whatever
they need
such as;
Discharges,
paperwork,
answering
phone calls,
directions,
picking up
and
delivering
equipment
throughout
the floors,
delivering
things to the
Sparked up a
lab, etc.
passion and
interest for
The
goal care
is to
patient
help others in
any way we
can

Nursing major

I want to give
back to society
by providing a
service in
patient care,
also I enjoy the
hospital
environment.

Friends

Most of my
close friends
attend UTEP, we
maintain a close
bond even
though we are
majoring in
different fields.

We are all
pursing a
higher level of
education and
a degree we
are
passionate
about

Family

In town

Out of
town

I am much
I am close
closer to
only to my
my moms
immediate
out of town
family,
side of the
somefamily, I
what close
would often
to my
go visit
dads side
them in
of the
Mexico, I
family
am somesuch as;
what close
my
to my
grandfathe
dads out
r, uncle
of town
and
side of the
cousins
As a wholefamily,
we love
we
and support
each
recently
other no matter
the
reconnecte
amount of distance
d