"Learning to Serve"

            I thoroughly enjoyed reading Tony Mirabelli’s “Learning to Serve”. Not only because the discourse community I am studying is a restaurant, but also because I found it extremely interesting. I believe that Mirabelli’s research question was more of a point or thesis then a particular question. I thought his point, which is stated in sixths and seventh paragraph of the introduction, is that he believes there are literacy skills required in the restaurant industry that are important for being successful. These skills cannot be taught in academic setting. “How the waitress or waiter understands and uses the texts such as the menu and how she or he “reads” and verbally interacts with the customer reflect carefully constructed uses of language and literacy.”(Pg. 541) He also mentions that he hopes his work will help people in general; especially the “academics” come to a realization that there is something to be respected about service work.

            The data that Mirabelli uses to analyze Lou’s is from his own experiences, observations, notes, documents, interviews, recordings, and transcriptions, as well as some useful literature. (Pg. 543) After his analysis of Lou’s Mirabelli finds modes of communication and knowledge about the menu and food are critical concepts a waiter or waitress must be familiar with to be successful. The last sentence in this article says a lot about what Mirabelli is trying to get at: “The low status of waitressing and waitering belies the complex nature of this kind of work and the innovative and creative ways in which such workers use language.” (Pg. 554) In other words, saying that waiters and waitresses are low status and uneducated because of their job is untrue because to be good at what they do they must use language in new and innovative ways that are very intelligent and creative. People who don’t know what the job entails shouldn’t be so quick to judge. A degree doesn’t always necessarily make you more intelligent.