Year 12s: what will be the first way you research your future options? >>

Can anyone please help polishing and give some feedbacks on my speech? thanks

Good morning everyone, today I’m going to talk about an issue that is related to everyone. Yes, including you and I. What is culture? And in fact, does culture matter? As Chuck Palahniuk, the author of the award-winning novel ‘Fight Club’ had said, the first step to controlling your world is to control your culture. Let me start by asking you a question. What is culture to you? Something that makes you proud? Something that connects you and your ancestors? Or something that defines a community?So, what is culture? According to the pioneer English Anthropologist Edward B. Tylor, culture is the full range of learned human behaviour patterns, such as the characteristics and knowledge of a particular group of people, encompassing language, religion, cuisine, social habits, music and arts. It is the collectively learned norms and values that defines every one of us, and teaches us the way of living. So, does culture matter? My answer is a definite yes.Have you ever just wondered why do we greet each other? Why do we eat with chopsticks when we are having Chinese cuisine? The reason behind is very simple, one word—culture. Culture plays an important part of our lives, your lives, my life, everyone’s life. It affects everyone. Culture does matter, and when I say it matters it means/ I mean culture both positively and inversely affecting us. That’s why we are paying attention to it. The language you speak, the music you listen to, the food you eat, the clothes you wear are all parts of a culture. What’s more is that Culture brings us together. I remember my experience of joining a summer camp in Canada. I didn’t know anyone there and I was all alone yet everyone seemed to be so indifferent. On the very first day, I was so nervous, so scared and I didn’t dare speak up. Suddenly, I heard a familiar language. A Chinese girl came approaching me and said hi in our mother tongues. That’s how culture brings us together. Because of our typical Chinese features – yellow skin colour, black hair, black eyes that bring us together. And till now, we still keep in touch and she is one of my best friends. In fact, human beings are very complex creatures. Every individual has a distinguished attitude, behaviour as well as traits. It is only through culture where its people act uniformly, unitedly, and live as a whole. Our culture is the thread that weaves the fabric of our lives.Culture defines who we are. Culture influences the manner we learn, live and behave. Our actions, words, behaviour can reflect how well-educated we are. Because of this, culture is an important shaper of our personality. We can find individuality and self-uniqueness through integrating the culture we are exposed to. Imagine… just imagine if there is no culture in this world, everyone in the entire world must conform to the exact same shared values, beliefs and norms in the group. We would gradually be more like robots, and intimidated creatures, than individuals. Culture gives us a sense of belonging. Looking back when I was 7, Sarah Lee Wai Sze was the 1st in 500 m time trial track cycling event in the 2010 Asian Games. I saw her having the gold medal in hand, having the Hong Kong national flag on her shoulders, with the triumphant national anthem playing in the background. I was so proud to be a Hongkonger, so proud that I started running around and telling everyone that Lee Wai Sze, representing Hong Kong, won a gold medal, and I was only 7 at that time. It is that moment I realise the power of culture, the power in which culture can link all its people together, and build up the solidarity and sense of pride.Through culture, we learn how to appreciate different cultures and learn from them. Culture trains us to be considerate and respect other cultures, so as to allow various cultures to coexist even though they may be contradictory to each other.Which is also why, culture, allows us to understand our own weaknesses. Sometimes culture stirs up conflicts. Occasionally a stereotyped ill-feeling just pops up in our mind when we hear the name of that group. Let’s try one. You’re having lunch at a restaurant and people sitting at the table next to you kept complaining. What comments will you make if they are mainlanders? Now, what would you think if they are westerners? Is there any difference in your views towards the above two groups of people? What provokes you to do so? Is it our innate stereotyped mindset, or is it merely our low degree of acceptance towards diversified cultures who don’t seem familiar to us? This is, in fact, why culture is key to corrections to our mindset, and is also why it matters.So, how can culture not influence and affect each and every one of our lives? The way we talk, the way we think, the way we behave all symbolises a different and special kind of culture. hope what i have experienced can help you all to understand the cruciality of culture. I will end my speech with a quote that I want you all to remember that is, “The brave never abandons their culture”. Stand up. Shout aloud. And let the uniqueness of your culture soar high. Because after all, culture DOES matter. Thank you!  