Nicholas Bonn L.
Sing Ma’am Serafin
BSCE-2 ENG031 9/23/2020
ASSIGNMENT #4
In the video Pellegrino Riccardi, who is a cross-culture expert tells about what he
does, about the specifics of his unusual profession and about the purposes for which
such work is necessary. Pellegrino Riccardi has three cultures inside of him; which
are Italian, British, and Norwegian. He talked about how cultures are so different
from one another and how they are special in their own way. Pellegrino a childhood
dreams to travel and his dream came true - his place of work - the whole world. He
helps people to communicate to other nationalities, especially in the business world.
He talks about the great role of perception in this matter. He gives examples of how
people with different nationalities have different perceptions and expect them to
different reactions. In addition, Pellegrino says that we have different views about
the accepted and familiar, which is also a possible barrier in communication. One of
the key factors of Pellegrino’s success - is curiosity by which he is able to notice as
much detail and work successfully in his profession.
Honestly, I have never thought that such a profession exists. However, after
watching this video, I realized the importance of this case, as well as how it is
interesting. Because really, in different nations are absolutely different mentality,
and that's good for me, it may be offensive to someone else. And a lack of
understanding of these aspects can lead to conflicts, for example, in the work or
simply in friendship with a foreigner. I believe that studying of this issue should be
included in the program of learning foreign languages, firstly, because it is very
interesting, and secondly, because it is very useful. From the beginning of the video,
I was entertained. The video is very interesting and witty at the same time. Riccardi
Nicholas Bonn L. Sing Ma’am Serafin
BSCE-2 ENG031 9/23/2020
mentioned that people took him seriously when he spoke with a British accent.
However, it is not the same when he spoke with an Italian accent. To be honest, I
didn't know that your accent can determine how you are perceived and treated.
Riccardi mentioned that there are differences in the rules when it comes to the
culture of how people treat each other. For example, in Norway, everyone is treated
equally with no regards to gender or social status. The queuing system was what I
find especially interesting. In the UK, people queue in a straight line whilst in
France, the shape of the line is different every day. India took the win when it
comes to queuing as they place their shoes in a line and go sit somewhere else
whilst waiting. So really, their shoes are doing all the work. Another thing he
mentioned was regarding how they drive. Norwegians are very by-the-rules kind of
people. They abide by the rules and stay in their lanes. For the French, the road is a
bit hectic, but in India, you could not even see the lines on the road. I have been to
both France and India, and I agree 100%. I will never attempt to drive in those two
countries. Apparently, the Italians and Brits talk a lot. They just love to talk and are
usually the beat around the bush kind of people. However, the Norwegians don’t
prefer to talk much and are generally the straight to the point type of people. At the
end of the video, Riccardi mentioned how we should see the beauty and the good in
all cultures. We should take the good in every culture and accept them.
I personally love the video. It is entertaining but at the same time, I got the
message. I knew that each culture is different, but I never knew that even the
smallest thing such as the queuing system would be different. I became more
curious and wanted to know more about different cultures and how people of those
Nicholas Bonn L. Sing Ma’am Serafin
BSCE-2 ENG031 9/23/2020
cultures live their day to day lives. It also makes me want to experience those
cultures on my own and for me, that means that what Riccardi said touched my
heart and I’m sure most would agree with me.
