Fausto Cattani

Dr. Irene Grau

Speech 001

27 January 2015

Culture: Italian

Artifact: Italian Flag, American Flag

1) Introduction
a) Attention Getter: (An introduction in Italian then translated) Hi, it is a pleasure to be here speaking in front
of you all. I wanted to talk about different cultures today.
b) Significance: I believe it is good for everyone to learn about other cultures, particularly those that have
contributed immensely to modern western culture and those who are modern western culture. This in turn
brings respect for those who are different, as different is neither better nor worse.
c) Credibility: Since I have lived in Italy for nearly 17 years I consider myself Italian and know firsthand the
realities of Italian culture, simply because it is my own. However I was raised with many American values,
and have lived in California for quite some time. I am currently studying Japanese culture and language for
my own benefit.
d) Thesis: The main advantage of learning other cultures is knowing different languages and using them every
day in order to gain an edge in life.
e) Preview: Knowing different cultures helps even in everyday situation, like interfacing with people especially
here in California.
2) Body
a) Helps in life
i) Thanks to being raised within two cultures, I have learned three different languages. This has helped me
immeasurably while here and abroad. Here in California, for example, it facilitates interactions with
Hispanic costumers, and allows me to act as a translator for many of my colleagues. This can be useful in
many everyday places, like a work environment, school, and leisure locales.
ii) Knowing different languages has also helped me in my travels, mainly within Europe and the US, where
English can be a real lifesaver.
b) Helps understand others
i) Knowing firsthand how different people can react to the same thing because of different backgrounds, I
am able to relate and better connect with others.
ii) I grow more as a person by knowing about different cultures and accepting differences among people.
iii) You become a unique individual in other peoples eyes.
3) Conclusion
a) Review
i) In synthesis knowing different cultures and languages is useful in life, if just to communicate. Yet it also
brings a type of connection and understanding difficult to gain in other ways.
b) Restate
i) The communication skills and linguistic knowledge gained by learning about different cultures are useful
in life.
c) Concluding thought
i) I encourage everyone here to learn another language, engage in another cultures traditions as a hobby,
maybe one day you may even decide to move abroad, or just to have an edge in life. Buona fortuna.