On-line Task 4

SPEECH is one of the interesting alternative text to be used in the literature classroom. The speech provided for you in the module is one by Martin Luther King.

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

i) Speeches by famous figures are interesting and appeals to everyone so it can attract the students’ attention.

ii) Motivational speeches by famous figures give goose-bumps and thus help to maintain students’ attention.

iii) Speeches by famous figures are well-written and can be inspiring for students to write good speeches.

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.

The use of media in the classroom is as suggested by the ASSURE model. It helps students to understand the text better as reading only can prove to be boring. By watching the audio-visual, students can refer to the text when there are words that are not clear. Listening to the tone of the speech also helps them to determine the key points. It aids the visual-spatial intelligence.

3. Who is Martin Luther King?
Martin Luther King is an African American iconic leader in the advancement of the civil rights in the United States of America using non-violent ways as he was a follower of Mahatma Gandhi.

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 mainly to motivate and persuade the white people in the USA to take action against the racial injustice that was given to his people. He makes them realise that racial equality was necessary for America to realize the noble aspirations of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.

b. What is the tone of the speech?
The tone is persuasive and this shows that the message he is conveying is very meaningful to him.

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

Repetition of the phrase “I have a dream.”

d. Any interesting facts that you can gather based on the background of the speech?

The venue of the speech is at Lincoln’s Memorial, Abraham Lincoln was the USA President who signed the Emancipation Proclamation many years ago and yet until the day he delivered the speech, the black people were still ‘enslaved’ by the white people. He also made careful research of the Bible, Emancipation Proclamation, United States’ Declaration of Independence and the United States’ Constitution to include in the speech.

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

Locate and highlight the main ideas of each paragraph and write a summary out of it.