Extensive listening: First Lady Michelle Obama Commencement Speech

On May 9 this year Michelle Obama delivered the commencement address to the 2015 graduates of Tuskegee University in Tuskegee, Alabama. She talked about growing into her official role, racism, her criticism of herself and her husband, motherhood and more.

Her speech starts at around minute 5 in the official video below.

You can read a full transcript here.

Extensive listening: Natalie Portman Harvard Commencement Speech at Harvard

Natalie Portman, the Academy Award-winning actress, returned to Harvard on May 27 2015 to address graduating seniors during the annual Class Day celebration in summery Tercentenary Theatre.

Portman, 33, who attended Harvard College from 1999 to 2003 and earned an A.B. in psychology, reflected on her own experiences at the University and in her career as she battled self-doubt. Even 12 years after graduation, with an enviable body of work and a rich personal life, she confessed to still feeling pangs of insecurity.

You can read the transcript here.

Talking point: Public speaking

This week's talking point is speaking in public. Before getting together with the members of your conversation group, go over the questions below, so that ideas can flow more easily when you meet up with your friends and you can work out vocabulary problems beforehand.

• On what occasions do people give speeches in your country?
• What's the best speech you've ever heard?
• What makes a good speech?
• Have you ever given a speech or a presentation? If so, how did you feel?
• What advice would you give to someone who had to make a speech or a presentation? 
• Why is it that some people are terrified of speaking in public? How can they overcome their fears?
• Have you seen the film The King's Speech? What is it about? To what extent do you sympathize with the main character?
• Imagine you have to do one of the following activities. Rank them from the one you would be most willing to do (1) to the least (6). Then compare lists with your friends and explain your choices: sing in a karaoke bar; give a presentation in English to the class; appear on a TV programme as an expert member of a panel; play a role in an amateur stage play; give a radio interview about a recent achievement in your professional area; give a guided tour of your school or your place of work to the president of your country.

To illustrate the point you can watch Leonard Cohen's Prince of Asturias Speech in 2011. You can read a full transcription of the speech here.

Angelina Jolie speech at the 2013 Governors Awards

38-year-old Angeline Jolie received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award during the 2013 Governors Awards held in November last year for her work as the co-founder of the Prevent Sexual Violence Initiative and for serving as a special envoy for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

Self-study activity:
Watch the four-minute speech and say in which order the topics below are mentioned.

The activity is suitable for intermediate 2 students.



Change of attitude
Gratitude
Puzzled
Self-centered
She couldn't have that


Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you. It’s quite overwhelming. Thank you to the members of the Academy for this honor. My dear friends who are here tonight, Gena and George, for your kind words, to my hero, Louis Zamperini, to the cast of Blood and Honey and most of all, to my family, my love. Your support and your guidance make everything that I do possible. Mad, I’m not gonna cry, I promise, and I won’t embarrass you. You and your brothers and your sisters are my happiness and there is no a greater honor in this world than being your mum.
I’m very humble to be here tonight among so many extraordinary artists. My mother loved art. She loved film. She supported any crazy thing I did, but whenever it had meaning, she made a point of telling me, that is what film is for. And she never had a career as an artist, she never had the opportunity to express herself beyond her theatre class, but she wanted more than for herself. She wanted for Jamie and I to know what it is to have a life as artists. And she gave us that chance. She drove me to every audition, and she would wait in the car for hours, always make me feel really good all the times I didn’t get the job. And when I did, we would jump up and down and scream and yell like little girls.
She wasn’t really the best critic, since she never had anything unkind to say, but she did give me love and confidence, and above all, she was very clear that nothing would mean anything if I didn’t live a life of use to others. And I didn’t know what that meant for a long time. I came into this business young and worried about my own experiences and my own pain and it was only when I began to travel and look and live beyond my home, that I understand my responsibility to others.
And when I met survivors of war and famine and rape, I learned what life is like for most people in this world and how fortunate I was to have food to eat, a roof over my head, a safe place to live and the joy of having my family safe and healthy. And I realized how sheltered I have been. And I was determined never to be that way again. We are all, everyone in this room so fortunate.
I have never understood why some people are lucky enough to be born with the chance that I had, to have this path in life and why across the world, there is a woman just like me, with the same abilities and the same desires, same work ethic and love for her family, who would most likely make better films and better speeches. Only she sits in a refugee camp, and she has no voice. She worries about what her children will eat, how to keep them safe, and if they’ll ever be allowed to return home. I don’t know why this is my life and that’s hers. I don’t understand that but I will do as my mother asked, and I will do the best I can with this life, to be of use. And to stand here today means that I did as she asked. And if she were alive, she would be very proud.
So thank you for that.

Key:
1 Gratitude 2 She couldn't have that 3 Self-centered 4 Change of attitude 5 Puzzled

Ashton Kutcher Acceptance Speech - Teen Choice Awards

In August this year Ashton Kutcher made this acceptance speech at the Teen Choice Awards.

Self-study activity:
Watch Ashton's speech and answer the questions below. The activity is suitable for intermediate students.



What's the surprising fact that we learn about Ashton?
What are the three pieces of advice Ashton gives teenagers?


Here’s to my friend and the ultimate choice award recipient Ashton Kutcher.
 What’s up? Oh WOW! Okay, okay, let’s be, let’s be brutally honest, this is the old guy award, this is like – this is like the grandpa award, and after this, I get to go to the geriatric home. First of all, I don’t have a career without you, guys. I don’t get to do any of the things I get to do without you.
You know, I thought that, hi! I thought that it might be interesting in Hollywood in the industry the stuff we do, there’s a lot of insider secrets to keeping your career going and a lot of insider secrets to making things tick and I feel like a fraud.
My name is actually not even Ashton. Ashton is my middle name. My first name’s Chris. And it always has been. It got changed when I was like 19 and I became an actor. But there are some really amazing things that I learned when I was Chris, and I wanted to share those things with you guys, because I think it’s helped me be here today.
So it’s really 3 things.
The first thing is about opportunity, the second thing is about being sexy and the third thing is about living life.
So first, the opportunity. I believe that opportunity looks a lot like hard work. When I was 13 I had my first job with my dad carrying shingles up to the roof. And then I got a job washing dishes at a restaurant. And then I got a job in a grocery store deli. And then I got a job in factory sweeping Cheerio dust off the ground. And I’ve never had a job in my life that I was better than. I was always just lucky to have a job. And ever job that I had was a stepping stone to my next job and I never quit my job until I had my next job. And so opportunities look a lot like work.
Number two: being sexy.
The sexiest thing in the entire world is being really smart. And being thoughtful. And being generous. Everything else is crap! I promise you! It’s just crap that people try to sell to you to make you feel like less. So don’t buy it. Be smart, be thoughtful, and be generous.
The third thing is something that I just re-learned when I was making this movie about Steve Jobs.
And Steve Jobs said: When you grow up you tend to get told that the world is the way that it is and that your life is to live your life inside the world and try not to get in too much trouble and maybe get an education and get a job and make some money and have a family. But life can be a lot broader than that when you realize one simple thing and that is that everything around us that we call life was made up by people that are no smarter than you. And you can build your own thing, you can build your own life that other people can live in. So build a life, don’t live one, build one, find your opportunity, and always be sexy. I love you guys.

Oprah Winfrey Harvard Commencement 2013 Speech

Oprah Winfrey, who has used her success as a talk show host and media entrepreneur to promote education, civic engagement, and charitable works, addresses graduates at Harvard's 362nd Commencement on May 30, 2013 at Tercentenary Theatre.



You can read the transcript here or here.

Conan O’Brien's Commencement Address, Dartmouth College

Conan Christopher O'Brien is an American television host, comedian, writer, producer, and voice actor. He is best known for hosting several late-night talk shows, the most recent of which, Conan, aired on American cable television station TBS in 2010.

On this video, which is a good example of the stuff we can find on the site we talked about on our yesterday's post, Speaking frog, Conan has encouraging words for the 2011 Dartmouth College senior class on the day of their graduation.



You can download the transcript for the speech here or watch the video while you simultaneously read the transcript on Speaking frog.

The Queen's Christmas 2012 speech

This is Queen Elizabeth's Christmas message on 24th December, where she reflects on her Diamond Jubilee and the Olympics.

The video clip is a bit lengthy but for English learners at an intermediate level and above, it is an extraordinary opportunity to come face to face with English in a stress-free situation.

If you are after an activity around the message, St George International has devised a straightforward task around the use of regular and irregular verbs in the speech.



This past year has been one of great celebration for many. The enthusiasm which greeted the Diamond Jubilee was, of course, especially memorable for me and my family.

It was humbling that so many chose to mark the anniversary of a duty which passed to me 60 years ago. People of all ages took the trouble to take part in various ways and in many nations. But perhaps most striking of all was to witness the strength of fellowship and friendship among those who had gathered together on these occasions.

Prince Philip and I were joined by our family on the River Thames as we paid tribute to those who have shaped the United Kingdom's past and future as a maritime nation, and welcomed a wonderful array of craft, large and small, from across the Commonwealth.

On the barges and the bridges and the banks of the river there were people who had taken their places to cheer through the mist, undaunted by the rain. That day there was a tremendous sense of common determination to celebrate, triumphing over the elements.

That same spirit was also in evidence from the moment the Olympic flame arrived on these shores. The flame itself drew hundreds and thousands of people on its journey around the British Isles, and was carried by every kind of deserving individual, many nominated for their own extraordinary service.

As London hosted a splendid summer of sport, all those who saw the achievement and courage at the Olympic and Paralympic Games were further inspired by the skill, dedication, training and teamwork of our athletes. In pursuing their own sporting goals, they gave the rest of us the opportunity to share something of the excitement and drama.

We were reminded, too, that the success of these great festivals depended to an enormous degree upon the dedication and effort of an army of volunteers. Those public-spirited people came forward in the great tradition of all those who devote themselves to keeping others safe, supported and comforted.

For many, Christmas is also a time for coming together. But for others, service will come first. Those serving in our armed forces, in our emergency services and in our hospitals, whose sense of duty takes them away from family and friends, will be missing those they love.

And those who have lost loved ones may find this day especially full of memories. That's why it's important at this time of year to reach out beyond our familiar relationships to think of those who are on their own.

At Christmas I am always struck by how the spirit of togetherness lies also at the heart of the Christmas story. A young mother and a dutiful father with their baby were joined by poor shepherds and visitors from afar. They came with their gifts to worship the Christ child. From that day on he has inspired people to commit themselves to the best interests of others.

This is the time of year when we remember that God sent his only son 'to serve, not to be served'. He restored love and service to the centre of our lives in the person of Jesus Christ.

It is my prayer this Christmas Day that his example and teaching will continue to bring people together to give the best of themselves in the service of others.

The carol, In The Bleak Midwinter, ends by asking a question of all of us who know the Christmas story, of how God gave himself to us in humble service: "What can I give him, poor as I am? If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb; if I were a wise man, I would do my part". The carol gives the answer "Yet what I can I give him - give my heart".

I wish you all a very happy Christmas

You're not special

David McCullough's commencement speech at Wellesley High School, Massachussetts in June this year was a controversial one, as he defined graduates as “pampered,” likely to get divorced, and “not special.”

Watch David McCullough's full speech here and judge for yourself.



You can read the transcript here.

Gettysburg Address

Larry Ferlazzo brought the Gettysburg Address to my attention a few weeks ago.

As Wikipedia points out, Gettysburg Address is a speech by U.S. President Abraham Lincoln and is one of the most well-known speeches in United States history. It was delivered by Lincoln during the American Civil War, on the afternoon of Thursday, November 19, 1863, at the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, four and a half months after the Union armies defeated those of the Confederacy at the Battle of Gettysburg.


Gettysburg Address from Adam Gault on Vimeo.

The video is also important because it is one of the entrants in the 2012 Vimeo Awards. As you know, Vimeo is a more artistic alternative to YouTube, as you can check out for yourself by just having a quick look at some of the videos competing this year.

Kate Middleton's First Public Speech

A few weeks ago the Duchess of Cambridge made her first public speech since the royal wedding at the East Anglia Children's Hospice in Ipswich.

Self-study activity:
Watch Kate Middleton's speech and complete the blanks in the transcript with the missing words. The activity is suitable for Básico 2 students.



First of all, I’d like to say thank you. Thank you for not only accepting me as your (1) ... but thank you also for inviting me here today.
You have all made me feel so (2) ... and I feel hugely honoured to be here to see this wonderful centre. I am only sorry that William (3) ... be here today; he would love it here.
A view of his that I share is that through team work so much can be (4) ... . What you have all (4) ... is extraordinary. You as a community have built the Treehouse; a group of people who have made every effort to (5) ... and help each other.
When I first visited the (6) ... in Milton, I had a pre-conceived idea as to what to expect. Far from being a clinical, depressing place for sick children, it was a home. Most importantly, it was a family home, a happy place of stability, (5) ... and care. It was a place of (7) ... .
Today, I have seen again that the Treehouse is all about family and (7) ... . For many, this is a home from home — a lifeline enabling families to live as normally as possible during a very precious period of time.
What you do is inspirational, it is a shining example of the (5) ... and the care that is delivered, not just here, but in the children’s (6) ... movement at large, up and down the country.
The feelings you inspire, feelings of love and of (8) ... , offer a chance to families to live a life they never thought could be possible.
So thank you again for inviting me here today. I feel enormously (9) ... to be part of East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices and to see the wonderful life-changing work that you do. Thank you.

Key:
1 patron 2 welcome 3 can’t 4 achieved 5 support 6 hospice 7 fun 8 hope 9 proud 

Kevin Costner's speech at Whitney Houston's funeral

Kevin Costner, who starred with Whitney Houston in The Bodyguard, pays tribute to the singer at her funeral in New Jersey.

It is a very lengthy video, upwards of seventeen minutes, but it is full of stories and anecdotes, and we might well say that there many videos is just one.

Watch it and try to understand as much as possible. You can read the transcript here.



You can also watch this video clip from PBS a few days after Whitney's death. You can find the transcript by clicking here.

Watch The Life and Legacy of Whitney Houston on PBS. See more from PBS NewsHour.

How I got my song

How I Got My Song is Leonard Cohen's speech at the Oct 21, 2011 Prince of Asturias Awards.

There is no task to go with the video. Simply watch it and enjoy Leonard Cohen's stories and anecdotes and his beautiful, seductive voice which makes his English really accessible for intermediate students.



You can read a transcript of the speech on the here.

The Queen's Christmas broadcast 2011

This is the speech Queen Elizabeth made for Chritsmas this year.  It is quite a lengthy video clip, upwards of seven minutes, but it is worth watching: The message has a universal value -the crisis, natural disasters, solidarity, hope for the future and resembles the speeches many other dignataries make.

Students at an intermediate level can greatly benefit from it. The speech is delivered at a slow pace and the vocabulary is not difficult, except for a few words and cultural references. Watch it without reading the transcript in the first place and see how much you understand.

It can also help us develop our pronunciation: Have you ever tried the technique of shadow reading? Choose a short passage in the speech and listen to the Queen deliver it. Then, play it again and try to read at the same pace as the Queen does.



In this past year my family and I have been inspired by the courage and hope we have seen in so many ways in Britain, in the Commonwealth and around the world. We’ve seen that it’s in hardship that we often find strength from our families; it’s in adversity that new friendships are sometimes formed; and it’s in a crisis that communities break down barriers and bind together to help one another.

Families, friends and communities often find a source of courage rising up from within. Indeed, sadly, it seems that it is tragedy that often draws out the most and the best from the human spirit.

When Prince Philip and I visited Australia this year we saw for ourselves the effects of natural disaster in some of the areas devastated by floods, where in January so many people lost their lives and their livelihoods. We were moved by the way families and local communities held together to support each other.
Prince William travelled to New Zealand and Australia in the aftermath of earthquakes, cyclones and floods and saw how communities rose up to rescue the injured, comfort the bereaved and rebuild the cities and towns devastated by nature.

The Prince of Wales also saw first hand the remarkable resilience of the human spirit after tragedy struck in a Welsh mining community, and how communities can work together to support their neighbours.

This past year has also seen some memorable and historic visits – to Ireland and from America.

The spirit of friendship so evident in both these nations can fill us all with hope. Relationships that years ago were once so strained have through sorrow and forgiveness blossomed into long term friendship. It is through this lens of history that we should view the conflicts of today, and so give us hope for tomorrow.

Of course, family does not necessarily mean blood relatives but often a description of a community, organisation or nation. The Commonwealth is a family of 53 nations, all with a common bond, shared beliefs, mutual values and goals.

It is this which makes the Commonwealth a family of people in the truest sense, at ease with each other, enjoying its shared history and ready and willing to support its members in the direst of circumstances. They have always looked to the future, with a sense of camaraderie, warmth and mutual respect while still maintaining their individualism.

The importance of family has, of course, come home to Prince Philip and me personally this year with the marriages of two of our grandchildren, each in their own way a celebration of the God-given love that binds a family together.

For many this Christmas will not be easy. With our armed forces deployed around the world, thousands of service families face Christmas without their loved ones at home. The bereaved and the lonely will find it especially hard. And, as we all know, the world is going through difficult times. All this will affect our celebration of this great Christian festival.

Finding hope in adversity is one of the themes of Christmas. Jesus was born into a world full of fear. The angels came to frightened shepherds with hope in their voices: ‘Fear not’, they urged, ‘we bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Saviour who is Christ the Lord.’

Although we are capable of great acts of kindness, history teaches us that we sometimes need saving from ourselves – from our recklessness or our greed. God sent into the world a unique person – neither a philosopher nor a general, important though they are – but a Saviour, with the power to forgive.

Forgiveness lies at the heart of the Christian faith. It can heal broken families, it can restore friendships and it can reconcile divided communities. It is in forgiveness that we feel the power of God’s love.

In the last verse of this beautiful carol, O Little Town of Bethlehem, there’s a prayer:

O Holy Child of Bethlehem
Descend to us we pray
Cast out our sin
And enter in
Be born in us today
It is my prayer that on this Christmas day we might all find room in our lives for the message of the angels and for the love of God through Christ our Lord.

I wish you all a very happy Christmas.

Three stories from my life

This video clip is a summary of Steve Job's commencement speech at Stanford University in 2005.
The latest news of his death today  makes it really up-to-date.

Self-study activity:
Watch the video and answer these questions:

1 Who was Steve's biological mother?
2 What's the second story about?
3 How many people started Apple?
4 What happened to Steve at 30?
5 When did he meet his wife?
6 What's the third story about?
7 Who wants to die?
8 How does Steve define death?
9 Which two things are important for us to have the courage to follow?




You can read the transcript here.

Key:
1 a young college graduate student 2 about love and loss 3 two 4 he was fired from Apple 5 after he had been fired from Apple and before returning to the company 6 death 7 nobody 8 death is the best invention of life 9 our heart and intuition