Delpit

I would have to agree with Delpit that those born into non-dominant Discourses can learn dominant Discourses. For Gee's first argument on how discourses cannot be taught in the classroom, they can only be acquired in their home settings, i strongly disagree. Students change their Discourses every day in school because they want to fit in with their peers. A friend of mine is observing in a kindergarten class here in Milwaukee, and she was remarking on how when one student asks to go outside or go to the bathroom or listen to music, everyone else will chime in. I feel that this isn't just them all sharing the same opinion at the same time, but wanting to be the same as the rest of their classmates and share the same interest. I agree that you're primary Discourse may originate from your lifestyle at home, but it is also defined by Gee as the one you are most comfortable in and I feel that most students try their hardest to set up their student-Discourse as one within their comfort zones.

However, with Gee's second argument that individuals born into one discourse may experience conflicts when attempting to acquire another discourse with different values, I completely agree. As we've read in the article, with certain backgrounds and family values students some times refuse to learn certain subjects because they believe the teachers are trying to transform them (which they are) and they won't allow it.

I believe it is very possible for those in a non-dominant discourse to transfer into a dominant one. With a non-dominant discourse they have the solidarity with a social network. With dominant discourse they bring in social goods like money and status. I feel that in order for someone with non dominant discourses to learn dominant discourses they need to have the proper education which will allow them to move from their current social network into a high status social network. And with that higher social status they would hopefully have a better job which would allow them to bring in more social goods. They just have to be given the proper support. It may prove difficult due to acquire a new Discourse if it conflicts with their values and or home and community Discourses but I feel that as long as they are able to mold the two together and neither forget their own previous values nor ignore the new ones they must acquire then it is very doable to make it a dominant Discourse. An example of this could be for any student of a different race, they have their home values and way of speaking and learning and then they are forced to contort to "American" and "English", for those who succeed into moving from a non-dominant to a dominant we see spanglish and mixed learnings such as that, where two languages and cultures join together.