If someone has mastered one discourse they should have the social skills to learn another. This can be supported by Gee’s argument of metaknowledge, where he says “such metaknowledge can make “maladapted” students smarter than “adapted” ones” (Gee 13). When Gee says this he suggests that having knowledge of your own discourse can help you transition into another. More evidence of this can be observed when Cuddy states “I’m doing it. Like I have become this. I am actually doing this.”(Cuddy 9). This is an example of her being aware of her previous and using tactics which she had already picked up on from mastering her previous discourse(s). Both of these statements back the argument that one should have the social skills to learn another discourse.

If an individual has an idea of how the discourse which they are planning to enter works. Than they may be able to apply the strategy of faking it, or making do with what they know. This is supported by when Cuddy states “Fake it till you become it.”(Cuddy 10). When Cuddy says this she is addressing the idea that you can use some knowledge of (although she doesn’t say discourse specifically body language is in a sense discourse) using confident and powerful body language to appear as if you are a part of the discourse. This is similar to when Gee describes the idea of “Mushfake”, when he says “making do with something less when the real thing is not available”(Gee 13). This shows that both Gee and Cuddy believe that a sort of faking it until you make it is possible when entering a discourse.

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