Speeches

A list of speeches that can be used for students to read and analyse.

Speeches are examples and models of oratory throughout the millennia and especially in the 20th and 21st centuries

Speeches of Thanksgiving

  • Ashton Kutcher

When accepting Nickelodeon’s Teen Choice Ultimate Choice Award in 2013, Ashton Kutcher gave a speech about what he learned as a child that made him the man he is now

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNXwKGZHmDc

  • Robin Rhianna Fenty

Speech at the Harvard University Humanitarian of the Year Award

https://youtu.be/pjlNIr7UIPA

  • Sandra Bullock

Speech – Academy Award acceptance speech for Actress in a Leading Role (March 7, 2010), Sandra Bullock Wins Best Actress: 2010 Oscars

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hTTwSQPmMo

  • Joaquin Phoenix

Receiving an Award at the Academy Awards, (12.02.2020)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUllIT8rCj4

  • Selena Gomez

Woman of the Year Award at Billboard’s Women in Music 2017:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMrRN99DYKU&t=34s

  • Penelope Cruz

Speech at the 2019 San Sebastian International Film Festival.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmjyysUJi1Y

  • Lupita Nyong’o

Speech for the 2014 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73fz_uK-vhs

Motivation speeches

  • Donovan Livingston

Ed.M.’16, student speaker at HGSE’s 2016 Convocation exercises.
Harvard Graduate School and Education – 25 May 2016, 4:40

https://www.gse.harvard.edu/news/16/05/lift

  • Lou Gehrig

Speech – “Farewell to Baseball” July 4, 1939, Yankee Stadium “Farewell to Baseball”, July 4, 1939, on the occasion of the end of the career of Lou Gehrig, who was ill with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

https://baseballhall.org/discover-more/stories/baseball-history/lou-gehrig-luckiest-man

Speeches delivered by politicians, statesmen and monarchs

  • President Barack Obama

Speech at the dedication of the Martin Luther King National Memorial, November 13, 2006 – http://obamaspeeches.com/093-Martin-Luther-King-Memorial-Groundbreaking-Ceremony-Obama-Speech.htm

  • AngelaMerkel – Federal Chancellor

New Year’s Speech

New Year’s speech of the German Chancellor Angela Merkel 31.12.2020

#AngelaMerkel #Bundeskanzlerin #Neujahrsansprache

Neujahrsansprache der Bundeskanzlerin Angela Merkel 31.12.2020

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2kzH2lXISQ

  • President Trump Trump

New Year Speech 2019

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mikCV82Om0A

https://factba.se/transcript/donald-trump-vlog-new-year-detailed-message-december-31-2018

  • Jacques Chirac – Président de la République

Vélodrome d’hiver – 1995

https://www.fondationshoah.org/sites/default/files/2017-04/Allocution-J-Chirac-Vel-dhiv-1995.pdf

  • Emmanuel Macron Président de la République

Speech was deliverd during a national tribute ceremony to Samuel Patti at the Sorbonne on 21.10.2020.

President remembers Paty’s commitment to learning and freedom in Sorbonne tribute

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epkC2IrQz4M

  • Jacinda Ardern, Prime Minister of New Zealand

Speech to Parliament on the Christchurch terrorist attack

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-03-19/christchurch-shootings-jacinda-ardern-house-speech-shooter-name/10917030 .

  • Hillary Clinton

Speech on women’s rights

https://edition.cnn.com/videos/us/2015/09/04/hillary-clinton-united-nations-china-womens-rights-bts.cnn

https://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/hillaryclintonbeijingspeech.htm

Movie speeches

  • Patch Adams

Defines speech, delivered in the 1998 film of the same name by Robin Williams

http://www.lifeintherightdirection.com/patch-adams-inspiration/

(PATCH ADAMS COMPLETE SPEECH) –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDEjgOFOLho

  • V for Vendetta – Speech

http://vbox7.com/play:2f7d79b879

Commencement speech

  • J.K. Rowling

Speech on the occasion of the graduation of the Harvard Class of 2008

http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2008/06/text-of-j-k-rowling-speech/

http://ed.ted.com/lessons/j-k-rowling-speaks-at-harvard-commencement

http://www.online.rhetoric.bg/wp-admin/post.php?post=1618&action=edit&message=6

Motivational speech

  • Eric Thomas

How Bad Do You Want It? Eric Thomas inspirational video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hqhk3U7DRvg