Question

to define this concept, lets break it down into its separate parts: discourse and community. well start with the simpler word, community. a community is simply a group of people who are joined together by something they have in common. it could be a shared interest such as a gaming community, a set of beliefs, such as a religious community, a similar geographical location, such as a local community, or a profession, such as the academic community. a family is a type of community. your friends also form a community. take a moment and think of the various communities to which you belong. what binds individuals together in these communities? do members of these communities engage with each other virtually or in real life?
next lets look at the other word in this term, discourse. the word in its original usage meant reasoned argument or thought. however, in contemporary usage we sometimes think of it generally as any written or spoken communication, a conversation. we more often use it to refer to written or spoken communication related to a particular intellectual or social activity, such as scientific discourse or political discourse. in this sense, a synonym for discourse might be language. a discourse is defined by its unique language, vocabulary, themes, ideas, values, and beliefs. think about your major. what are the unique characteristics of the discourse in your disciplinary or professional field?
now lets put our two words together, discourse community. any guesses on what it means? if you are thinking that it is a group of people—real, imaginary, virtual, or otherwise—with shared interests, goals, language, and ways of communicating, then, yes.
which of the following best defines a discourse community as described in this excerpt?
a a community that only communicates through written texts and formal arguments.
b a group of people who live in the same geographic area and speak the same language.
c any online group that discusses political or scientific topics.
d a group of individuals who share common interests, goals, and modes of communication, often defined by specialized language and values.

Explanation:

The text defines a discourse community as a group of people (real, imaginary, virtual etc.) with shared interests, goals, language, and ways of communicating. Option D aligns with this definition as it mentions a group of individuals sharing common interests, goals, and modes of communication, often with specialized language and values. Option A is too restrictive as it only focuses on written texts and formal arguments. Option B only emphasizes geographical area and same - language, ignoring other key elements. Option C only focuses on online groups discussing specific topics and misses the broader aspects of shared interests and values.

Answer:

D. A group of individuals who share common interests, goals, and modes of communication, often defined by specialized language and values.