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Your Daily English Programme #36 - Martin Luther King Jr.: 'I Have a Dream' (Listening B1-C1) |
Welcome to #Week10 on Engramme: Your Daily English Programme. In this post, we will be looking at an important event in American history. Are you ready?
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Think Before You Listen |
Watch This Short Video (1:11): Do you know who the speaker is? Have you heard this speech of his before? Do you know why he gave this speech and why it is so important in American history?
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968) was an American Baptist minister, social activist and Civil Rights leader who stood against racism and social injustice. He dedicated all his life to achieving equality and justice for all Americans of all colors. Dr. King strongly believed that civil disobedience (peaceful refusal to obey unjust laws, demands and commands of a government) was the best way to bring about social change. He received the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1964. On April 4, 1968, King was assassinated on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, which is now the National Civil Rights Museum.
On August 28, 1963, Dr. King delivered his most famous and influential public speech, "I Have a Dream" from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. The speech, which called for civil and economic rights and an end to racism in the US, marked a defining moment in the American Civil Rights Movement.
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Watch and Listen |
Watch the Video: According to the report, has the Civil Rights Movement reached all the goals it set out to achieve more than 50 years ago?
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Let's Practice |
In today's lesson, we're not only going to listen to different voices, but we'll also look at various verb 'tenses' in English. Often in a report such as the following, many different people speak (they may also have different accents), and various tenses are used depending on each speaker's perspective (the past, present, or future). For one thing, it is essential that you get used to listening to different voices (and accents) and understand what is being said; for another, it is important to realize what point in time they are referring to - the past, present or future - depending on the event or period of time they are talking about.
Watch the Video Again: Fill in the blanks with the 'verbs' that the speakers use (note that some verbs are preceded by one or more auxiliary verbs):
mouse over the underlined words to see their meaning
Reporter: 50 years ago today, about a quarter million people _________ on the National Mall on Washington to demand change.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: sharing his dream for America from the
steps of the Lincoln memorial.
Today, thousands ____ ________
once again to commemorate those now famous words that forever changed our country.
Rep. John Lewis: 50 years ago, there _____ so much fear. People
were afraid to be afraid. The fear ___ ______. Our country is better and we are
better people. We still _______ a distance to go.
Reporter: That distance front and center today, as the
nation's first black president _____
____ his vision as the marquee speaker at the anniversary celebration.
President Obama acknowledges that, while a lot of progress _____ ______
______, King would not be satisfied.
Former President Obama: We have not made as much progress as the
civil and social progress that we've made, and that it's not enough just to have
a black president.
Reporter: There ______ renewed calls for addressing socio-economic
and racial disparities. The recent acquittal of George Zimmerman and
the shooting death of Trayvon Martin _______ many to the streets across the
country in protest. The president, reacting with personal candor:
Former President Obama: There are very few African-American men in
this country who _______ _____ the
experience of being followed when they were shopping in a department store; that
includes me.
Reporter: This from a president criticized by some in the black
community for not being more outspoken about race.
Speaker: I like to see him be more passionate about race
questions.
Reporter: Last week in New York, Mr. Obama may have given a
glimpse into his address today honoring the Civil Rights leader:
Former President Obama: Each generation _______ wiser in
terms of wanting to treat people fairly and do the right thing and not
discriminate. And that's a great victory that we should all be very proud of.
Reporter: Former presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter _____ ____ there as well, so will actor Jamie Foxx,
and media mogul Oprah Winfrey who credits King for much of her success.
Oprah Winfrey: It is because of Dr. King and all those who _______
with him that I stand, and because of them I have a voice that can ____ _______.
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(click to see full transcript with answers+tips)
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Over to You |
Dr. Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech is deemed not only one of the most influential, but also one of the greatest motivational speeches of all time. Would you like to listen to the speech in full? Click here.
Well Done! And that is all for today on Engramme: Your Daily English Programme. To find out about our other lessons and resources, please see here.
To Review the Vocabulary from this post, click here.
Teachers Who Would Like to use this content in their lessons can download a print-friendly pdf copy HERE
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