For starters, Gee is a firm believer that when individuals speak or write they subconsciously establish seven different areas of reality. In his work titled Building Tasks he defines these areas, an example of one area would be connections. In his definition he explains that language is used to define similarities between texts and much more as well as differences. This is a crucial concept when it comes to science discourse. Without the ability to draw conclusions of similarities and differences of work the reader isn’t able to see how ones work impacts a science community. When further explaining differences he mentioned how “Things are not always inherently connected or relevant to each other… Even when things seem inherently connected or relevant to each other, we can use language to break or mitigate such connections” (Gee, 35). That even if ones work doesn’t relate to another it is also extremely important to see the contrasting of views for it develops opinions. Plus it is also significant that an individual is able to decide which text is reliable through comparison. These connections that he mentions are clearly evident in science Discourses. Throughout the study of Eliza, Haas realized that within her senior year she was able to finally realize connections throughout academic literature. “She also exhibited a greater awareness of the intertextual nature of discourse; texts were not isolated, but linked” (Haas, 66). She no longer struggled to obtain all the facts in a text but instead takes the general knowledge and relates it to other academic pieces she’s read upon. She believes that in science everything builds upon one another due to gained knowledge, that no one has a truly original idea but instead they’re all indirectly related. Which marked an important stepstone in her learning growth as a college student.
Another aspect that is important in the scientific discourse would be understanding the significance of a text. Without fluency in this concept, the reader would be left with the question, why am I reading this? They need to have a motive for reading a given text, significance is a strong motive. With this said, Gee believes that individuals through language use keywords essentially to mark significance, “There are things in life that are, by nearly everyone’s standards, significant (for example, the birth or death of a child). But for many things, we need to use language to render them significant or to lessen their significance, to signal others (Gee, 32). Gee believes that it is essential for an individual to state the significant in both social and natural sciences, for it marks importance. Keywords such as crucial, impacting and much more allow the reader to determine the importance in their eyes in their specified field. Through key words one is able to show value or disgrace. In agreement with this claim, one is able to see the same beliefs in the simple format known as IMRAD. “Begin by explaining to your readers what problem you researched and why the research is necessary. Convince the readers that it is important that they continue to read” (IMRAD Cheat Sheet). Through the requirement of an introduction an individual is required to attempt and persuade the reader to continue. To overall show how their research is important and has an impact. Supporting how the format applies to the process of significance and the natural and social sciences.
