Learning Paths » 5A Interacting
FRossetti - Obama's speech
by - (2008-11-11)
Up to Obama's Victory Speech. A Multimedia Activity
Obama’s speech of the 4th November 2008
It has been a long first speech the one made by the new President of the United States of America, Barack Obama. He discussed about the strong sense of national unit American people have, about families (especially about his family), about present and future, peace and war, about values people should have. He thanked the people who had helped him all the previous months and, of course, he thanks the people who had voted him “But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to – it belongs to you”. He talked about Senator McCain. Especially he talked TO America, the big country made up of millions of people seen like only one person to whom he talks with. I think that when the President talks directly to America we have the peak of persuasion. Most American people are puritans (if you progress in life then you have been blessed by God) and thee believe in national unity. So, if someone says to them that things are going to change, to improve and that this will happen only if they are going to collaborate just as one big nation, they will follow the person that is speaking. Wouldn’t you do the same? I’m sure you would, just as the many Americans did. Moreover Obama says that their journey won’t be easy. No! Their journey will be very long and difficult (Is he trying to protect himself from possible mistakes?). In his speech Obama uses many times the sentences “Yes, we can!”. Many things have changed in America since she was found in the far 1492 when Columbus thought he was arrived in India. What a mistake! One of the biggest and greater mistakes someone ever did. America can change. America can do big things, she has got enough power and enough will-power to go anywhere and do whatever she wants. Things can really change and Barack Obama, just like millions of people do, believes in it. He believes in his strength, in the strength America has, in the strength of American people.
I personally appreciate his speech very much, not only because grammatically speaking it’s perfect, but also because he seems sincere, he really believes in what he says, he doesn’t say things just because he have to say them, because he knows that people want to hear what they want them to be told. I like the part where he says “Yes we can!” Here is concentrated all the will-power he has, only with three simple words. I also appreciate very much the final part, when he says that “This is our moment”. In this speech he seems like a general who is talking to his men just before a battle. A battle against all those people who don’t believe in themselves, that are too lazy to even try to change things, against those people that don’t even fight because they think from the beginning that they are going to lose. But yes, they can win! They have to believe it and to be unit, it doesn’t matter if they are going to make mistakes or even to lose. They have to try and show what they are about. Yes, they can!
New words
To achieve: ottenere, realizzare
To endure: sopportare, durare
Selfless: disinteressato, altruistico
Unyielding: inflessibile, rigido
Endorsement: pubblicità
Scorching: bruciante, caldissimo
To perish: essere intirizzito
Mortgage: ipoteca, mutuo
Harness: imbracatura, finimenti
Steep: esorbitante, scosceso
Setback: contrattempo, sconfitta
To seek: scovare
To summon: convocare
Banner: stendardo
To be strained: essere teso
Shore: riva
To huddle: tenersi vicini
Dawn: alba
To tear: strappare
Beacon: faro
To struggle: respirare a fatica, lottare
Creed: credo
To harbour: dare asilo
Idioms
- achieve to put their hands on the arc of history
- leadership is at hand
- despair in the dust bowl
It has been a long first speech the one made by the new President of the United States of America, Barack Obama. He discussed about the strong sense of national unit American people have, about families (especially about his family), about present and future, peace and war, about values people should have. He thanked the people who had helped him all the previous months and, of course, he thanks the people who had voted him “But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to – it belongs to you”. He talked about Senator McCain. Especially he talked TO America, the big country made up of millions of people seen like only one person to whom he talks with. I think that when the President talks directly to America we have the peak of persuasion. Most American people are puritans (if you progress in life then you have been blessed by God) and thee believe in national unity. So, if someone says to them that things are going to change, to improve and that this will happen only if they are going to collaborate just as one big nation, they will follow the person that is speaking. Wouldn’t you do the same? I’m sure you would, just as the many Americans did. Moreover Obama says that their journey won’t be easy. No! Their journey will be very long and difficult (Is he trying to protect himself from possible mistakes?). In his speech Obama uses many times the sentences “Yes, we can!”. Many things have changed in America since she was found in the far 1492 when Columbus thought he was arrived in India. What a mistake! One of the biggest and greater mistakes someone ever did. America can change. America can do big things, she has got enough power and enough will-power to go anywhere and do whatever she wants. Things can really change and Barack Obama, just like millions of people do, believes in it. He believes in his strength, in the strength America has, in the strength of American people.
I personally appreciate his speech very much, not only because grammatically speaking it’s perfect, but also because he seems sincere, he really believes in what he says, he doesn’t say things just because he have to say them, because he knows that people want to hear what they want them to be told. I like the part where he says “Yes we can!” Here is concentrated all the will-power he has, only with three simple words. I also appreciate very much the final part, when he says that “This is our moment”. In this speech he seems like a general who is talking to his men just before a battle. A battle against all those people who don’t believe in themselves, that are too lazy to even try to change things, against those people that don’t even fight because they think from the beginning that they are going to lose. But yes, they can win! They have to believe it and to be unit, it doesn’t matter if they are going to make mistakes or even to lose. They have to try and show what they are about. Yes, they can!
New words
To achieve: ottenere, realizzare
To endure: sopportare, durare
Selfless: disinteressato, altruistico
Unyielding: inflessibile, rigido
Endorsement: pubblicità
Scorching: bruciante, caldissimo
To perish: essere intirizzito
Mortgage: ipoteca, mutuo
Harness: imbracatura, finimenti
Steep: esorbitante, scosceso
Setback: contrattempo, sconfitta
To seek: scovare
To summon: convocare
Banner: stendardo
To be strained: essere teso
Shore: riva
To huddle: tenersi vicini
Dawn: alba
To tear: strappare
Beacon: faro
To struggle: respirare a fatica, lottare
Creed: credo
To harbour: dare asilo
Idioms
- achieve to put their hands on the arc of history
- leadership is at hand
- despair in the dust bowl
- open doors of opportunity