Online Task 4

Question:
1. Think of at least 3 benefits of using speeches by famous figures, in the classroom.

Mostly, the speeches are well prepared. They are free of grammatical errors and proofread many times. So these speech texts are suitable to be used in the classroom.

The type of speeches is persuasive speech. Students can learn the techniques of persuasive speech and apply this skill in their real life.

Critical thinking skills can be learnt from the speeches. If will sharpen the critical thinking skills of the students.

2. Go to www.youtube.com and find the audio-visual on the speech. In not less than 50 words, state would the audio-visual be of any use in helping understand the speech better? State your reasons.

Martin Luther King, Jr : I have A Dream

For my opinion, the audio-visual on the speech helps students a lot for their understanding than merely listening to the speech. They can see the way the speechmaker delivers his or her speech effectively through audio-visual. His or her gestures, body language as well as eye-contact play a crucial role for persuading others.

Besides, students are more interested in learning about the speech through audio-visual. Some of the students can’t focus for a long time on listening. With the help of audio-visual, which stimulate their sense organs, they can pay more attention on the speech.

3. Who is Martin Luther King?

Martin Luther King, Jr. (January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African American civil rights movement. He is best known for being an iconic figure in the advancement of civil rights in the United States and around the world, using nonviolent methods following the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi.King is often presented as a heroic leader in the history of modern American liberalism.
A Baptist minister, King became a civil rights activist early in his career. He led the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott and helped found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1957, serving as its first president. King's efforts led to the 1963 March on Washington, where King delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech. There, he expanded American values to include the vision of a color blind society, and established his reputation as one of the greatest orators in American history.
In 1964, King became the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for his work to end racial segregation and racial discrimination through civil disobedience and other nonviolent means. By the time of his death in 1968, he had refocused his efforts on ending poverty and stopping the Vietnam War.
King was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee. He was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1977 and Congressional Gold Medal in 2004; Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was established as a U.S. federal holiday in 1986.

4. Based on the questions below, analyse the features of the given written speech:

a. What is the purpose of the speech?

The purpose of the speech is the called for racial equality and the end to discrimination. It also can be considered as a message of hope. Martin Luther King, Jr. hoped that blacks and whites could live amongst each other in peace.

b. What is the tone of the speech?

The tone of the speech is persuasive, eloquent, intellectual, honest, passionate, motivational, strong and hope.

c. What interesting major feature(s) can you see from the speech? (i.e.Repetition of phrases, emphasis on certain things said etc)

i.)                 Repetition of phrases such as “I have a dream”. This phrase was mentioned eight times throughout the speech. He repeated the phrase “I Have a Dream” to stress his hope for the future.

ii.)               Repetition of phrases such as “one hundred years later”. This phrase was mentioned four times throughout the speech. Martin Luther King, Jr. states that after a hundred years later, the blacks are still oppressed and marginalised by the whites by emphasizing on the phrase, “one hundred years later”.

iii.)             Repetition of phrases such as “now is the time”. This phrase was mentioned three times in the speech. By making that statement, he wants the blacks to be given equal treatment and equal opportunities as the whites.

iv.)            Repetition of phrases such as “be satisfied”. This phrase was mentioned five times in the speech. By making the statement above, he is saying that the blacks will never stop fighting for their rights until they are granted equal rights as the whites.

d. Any interesting facts that you can gather based on the background of the speech?
1) Martin Luther King, Jr ‘s date of birth was on January 15, 1929.

2) He was born in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

3) He died on April 4, 1968. Memphis, Tennessee, USA (assassination by gunshot)

4) In 1951, he entered Boston University.

5) In 1953, he married Coretta Scott and lived in Montgomery, Alabama.

6) In 1954, he was selected as pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama  

7) In 1955, he received his Ph.D. in systematic theology from Boston University  

8) 1955-1956 Led a successful effort to desegregate Montgomery, Alabama, buses  

9) in 1957, he helped found and served as the first president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)  

10) In 1958, he published Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story  

11) In 1963, he wrote 'Letter from Birmingham Jail,' arguing that it was his moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws  

12) In 1963, he delivered his 'I Have a Dream' speech to civil rights marchers at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.  

13) In 1964, he won the Nobel Peace Prize and became the first black American to be honored as Time magazine's Man of the Year.  

14) In 1965, he organized a mass march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, that created national support for federal voting-rights legislation  

15) In 1968, he was assassinated at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee

5. Suggest a while-reading activity that can be derived from this particular speech.

          Skimming activity.