Jason Justice

For Intercultural Competence, I chose the Cultures of Appalachia and Scottish Highlands paper. The title of the paper is “Cultures of Appalachia and the Scottish Highlands: Twins or Contraries?" and it was created for my Elementary Spanish II 16-week course. The course was a blended course, but I largely chose to attend it in-person. I found that I did better in the course when I chose more interactive learning. This was due to the course covering many concepts that were new to me, and I frequently had questions about the course content that were best asked when I was sitting in class. 

 

The artifact itself is one of the longest works I have ever written. For Intercultural Competence, I was prompted to write an essay no longer than 2.5 thousand words. I had to write a paper evaluating the cultures between the two regions, give a description of their history before writing a reflection and giving an objective analysis of the merits of the regions. It was one of my most difficult papers, since I had to do extensive research and write the paper for weeks on end. Even before all that, I had to write a rough draft of my paper so I could submit it to the Academic Support Writing Center for necessary corrections and recommendations. Once I got my feedback, I then had to write a final draft using the suggestions provided and expand on the work itself.

 

A few strengths of the work are that it showcases my ability to elaborate for a long period of time on a topic, as well as being able to take advantage of the time I spend perusing historical sources on paper. Another advantage is its academic format and its clear signs of extensive work. 

It has weaknesses, however. Since it is a lengthy paper, it may include sections where I seem to be rambling. The paper itself is not as comprehensive as some of my shorter works, since I was covering a new topic that I did not know much about. Overall, it seems that the strengths mitigate the weaknesses, and they do not obstruct much when it comes to getting the point across. I worked on it over time, and I had to complete some sections quickly as the deadline approached. The paper also contains some citations, and a works cited page at the end, which shows my competency in professional formatting and the ability to recall sources. 

 

My core skill goals are to demonstrate my competency in cultural reflections and to demonstrate my ability to write lengthy works. The first goal was met when I elaborated extensively in my reflection about the Appalachian and Highland cultures. The paper was exclusively designed to go in my portfolio, so I had to plan it accordingly to be considered E-Portfolio material. I am especially satisfied with how the historical aspect of the mountain ranges were covered, from the two mountain ranges having once been part of a single range in Pangea, to the settlement of the Appalachians by the Scottish and Irish, many of whom came from the Highlands. My second goal was achieved through the length of the work, which was 8 pages long. I chose a topic that I knew would require plenty of elaboration since it was expected of us to be able to give extensive, page-long descriptions.

 

I made sure to extend the work out to a professional level by elaborating on historical events, comparing and contrasting the cultures, explaining some of the problems they face today, and comparing aspects and their future survival chances. I also made sure to cite my sources and do extensive research to help my grade and my professional skills. A few assignments from other classes have contributed to my learning such as my report on the history of the Serbo-Croatian language. In that paper, I had to extensively write on my chosen language, and I covered its history, spread, its current state today, and how it ties to my studies. Although I got a higher grade on that report than the artifact I am doing, I still believe my artifact pertaining to the Appalachians and Scottish Highlands is a better fit, particularly due to the longer amounts of time I spent on it. 

 

What I have learned in Intercultural Competence is a greater appreciation for the wider world and the diversity of cultures. The world is heavily diverse not just in wildlife, but in lifestyles and cultural practices of people. Although humanity shares many commonalities, there are many aspects that differentiate us from one another. The work that I had to do on just two mountain regions and some of the cultures within is testament to the cultural diversity seen throughout the world. I have personally been to other parts of the country and even different countries and have a greater appreciation of people who are different from me, thus being presented with the opportunity to write this paper was a great way to put my knowledge to the test. 

 

I have personally been to the Appalachians for family trips. While it was great being able to enjoy the conveniences at home, I was also enamored with the mountains and the remoteness of the communities there. In fact, one of the reasons why I chose to include the Appalachians in my report was due to us passing through those remote communities, which had me thinking about how the locals live and how they view outsiders. What also helped me finalize my choice was my recollection of viewing a documentary about some aspects of people’s lives in the Appalachians. In the documentary, it explained the impact of gentrification on the locals there. Since tourism is one of the top reasons why people frequent the Appalachians, hotels have been constructed along with amusement parks and other facilities, which impacts the livelihood of those who live there. Thus, I decided to do a report involving the Appalachians when I was prompted on it. I hope it is an enjoyable read.