Born to immigrant parents, Fantini experienced intercultural life early on. Later, participation in an exchange program gave him a new perspective of the role of language and culture. He pursued studies in Latin-American Studies, Anthropology, and Applied Linguistics, and worked with an exchange organization, the U.S. Peace Corps, and as an international consultant. As a past SIETAR International President and professor emeritus, he stressed language and intercultural interconnections, putting “Communicative” into Intercultural Competence = ICC.