Monday 5 December 2011

"Without Limitations": Michelle Obama's plea for education

This week's homework asssignment to improve listening skills is longer than usual, but hopefully you will find it's worth listening to. It is 11 minutes long, but very inspiring and motivational. I love every minute of this presentation!

This is a speech that Michelle Obama made at Elizabeth Anderson school, a girls' school in London in 2009. She talks about her past life, family background, her first date with Barack Obama and, above all, she passionatelly encourages students to take education seriously. She says it is your generation which will close the gap between the world as it is now and the world as it should be. We are precisely talking about these social and political issues in our coursebook unit: Can we change the world or make a difference to it? Yes, you can, Michelle says.

It is also a pleasure to listen to Michelle's American English, you will see it is very easy to understand.

Feel free to leave your comments below:
  • What did you find most interesting? Do you agree with her?
  • Was there anything in her talk that really surprised you? 
We'll have some class feedback next week on the content and vocabulary you have selected to learn. Remember it is better to select chunks of language to learn and not only individual words. It'll help later to speak faster.




34 comments:

Mireia said...

A very inspiring video. I liked it. I think that almost everything she said should make us think more positively about our future.
My favourite sentence is: "You can control your own destiny". There's nothing impossible if you work hard in all the aspects of your live. Giving more importance in education.
Another important thing for me, is the concept of the world as it is and the world as it should be. Because we can make that this difference doesn't exist.

I really liked the video, and made me think about all the things that we can do.

Thanks for sharing teacher!

vladimir said...

This woman is right!!!In my opinion, our future depends of our education.And i'm not talking about getting a job, education is the thing that will always help to find a right way! Books that i've read, only a few, all the characters impressed me by their way of speaking and thinking. Always they were reading books. But they didn't read it because they knew that it's obligatory, they were completely in loved in reading, discovering new horizons of life and though. And they haven't opportunities. They did all by themselves. Like Obama's wife said we should love it, we shold love each secound of our education. Yes it's difficult, but we should only imagine. We have all stuff for studying, for creating of our future. We should only push ourselves, only a little bit. In filosify we've finished Platon. Our soul should only fall in love in the thing's essence. We should only love education. And it is not only for boys and i'm sure enough that we are creators of our life and education is our bricks. So take a rudder in yuor hand and do your best!

Sheila said...

Hello I'm sheila and I'm from the blog of http://englishinbrunete.blogspot.com/ and I saw your video of Michelle Obama and I like it so much. The best part of the video it is when Michelle Obama talks about her life when she was young. And there is a part of the video that i can believe it, it is when she explains what problems that she had in her family when she was only a child.
Thank you and see you soon :)

Sònia Turmo said...

I'm happy you enjoyed her talk Sheila! She's really inspiring! Thanks for visiting and see you around! Happy learning!

Clara Fulgueiras said...

Hello! i'm sheila's mate from englishinbrunete.blogspot.com
I also watched michelle's obama video and i liked so much i think she is really true.
She tell us the real things that are important or should be important for us: education
And she means education like love, respet... things that make us happy, the only things we need.
She make the people who watch the video think, use the head and try to be better people because ''we have to make the world it is the same that the world that should be''
Michelle is a good person for real.
Greetings! thanks for the video

Nariman said...

Michelle Obama strikes me as a woman who knows what life is. I agree with Michael that the best line is where Michell says everyone can control their own lives. Nobody can be responsible for another's life as only you are able to make decisions that direct your life.

Svyatoslav said...

Hello my name is Svyatoslav. And i´m from blogger called "learning english in brunete" too. This video is really great. I like it because Michelle said the true, because our future is a result of our decitions. The thing that really suprised me were Michell´s life when she was a child. I hope that she and Barack will do a lot of good things for the worl.

Mirella said...

Hello my name is Mirella and I´m from blogger http://englishinbrunete.com too. I have seen your video of Michell Obama and really I liked it. I liked the phrases: you can control your own destiny and realize your dreams. She says the true and I think that she worries about youth because as she says we are the future of this world, we can change our history and that is possible with a good education and moral values. She´s a good person and leading lady. The video is very insteresting thank you.

erika said...

Hello!!My name´s Erika I´m from blogger http://englishinbrunete.blogspot.com too.I have seen your video of Michelle Obama It really liked to me.I have liked a lot of the phrases of Michelle,phrases as:you must struggle for get wht you want,for you achieve your dreams. For it you must have a good education and propose you.
I think that this video will serve for help to a lot of women to propose it that really they want.In summary this video will be think to a lot os people in yours studies for the future,and think that the mr and mrs Obama will do interesting things in the world!!

Lidia said...

Hello i'm Lidia I´m from blogger http://englishinbrunete.blogspot.com too
i saw your video of Michelle Obama and i like a lot.
My prefer phrase is "You can control your own destiny". I think that with effort and dedication you can get all your intentions.
This video will can to serve to a lot of girls
Thanks for the video =)

SOFIA said...

Hi, I'm Sofia. I am from the blog http://englishinbrunete.blogspot.com/.
I've seen your video of Michelle Obama and I liked it very much. It makes us think about what we could do to build the world as it should be and for it one of the most important things is the education we receive. I agree with her when she says that we can control our own destiny.
Thanks for the video !

Karin said...

very interesting!
he is right, there is a saying:
want is power! (querer es poder)

We need to trust and believe in what we do to move forward with our dreams and aspirations we have in life.
a very emotional speech =)

Naomi said...

Is very intersting!
i like the sentence when she said.. You can control your own destiny
she talk about her life when she was young so is very emotional..

Ona said...

It's a fantastic video to think about your ambitions for the future. You must have a good education and values to fulfill your dreams and to fight for the rights. We can control our own destiny, so we must build the world that should be, without limits.

Unknown said...

I liked this video, because I think we have to study to enlarge our way of thinking and increase choices for our future and create our own destiny.

Navjot Kaur said...

What a encourageous speech! I have always looked up to the First Lady of America. I can figure out that every each word that came from her mouth was coming from the bottom of her heart. That's what I really appreciate about someone! The speech goes about education, which I found a very intersting topic. I feel sensitive with her, her story has a lot to learn from and that is a great lecture for everyones life. We should keep studying because as she said that will help us to show our values. We have to control our destiny, no matter how many situations we have to tackle for reaching what we want.

christiangato said...

I liked this video a lot because she say how we can be all we want if we work hard and we can make history. We can be stronger than we think and I believe in this idea. This video is perfect!!!

Alejandro905 said...

I love this video! talk about a very important thought for all as is hard work, and above that our goals can only be achieved through hard work and sacrifice. I recommend this video to everyone!

Haider said...

hi,
well this is very good video I really enjoyed her speed that she did and found many interesting things and also surprising. this video is very inspiring and motivational for both woman and man.
I found interesting and good things in this video which is that she is regular woman and in her educational life she is very timetable and work very smartly.she said that every body can control his or her destiny with hard work.and also she said that every body can complete her/his dream or job and start helps who are begginer.
Thing that surprised me in this video which is the first date of her with her husband OBAMA..

Lydia Romera said...

I think it's a great video that shows us that we shouldn't come from a rich family in order to achieve our goals, you only have work hard. We can we overcome obstacles, creating our own path.

Unknown said...

It's a fantastic video, i like it very much!! We have to study and work hard to make a good future.
The most beautiful phrases that she says is "You can control your own destiny".

evelyn said...

hey!

i can't see the video.

Ruben C said...

I totally agree with everything she said in the video. Us students are the future, and we should take advantage of the time we have now to learn as much as we can to be the best version of ourselves in the future. The phrase: 'You can control your own destiny' definitely sums up this conference.

Melanie Ortega said...

this woman is amazing! Her speech it’s very emotional, I agree with all she said, we can give more, we control our own destiny, she is an example to follow, in her house didn’t live as rich, lived with love, values. That’s inspiring coming from the First Lady of America (at that time) for all the women in the world.

Natalia a said...

WOW! I really enjoyed seeing this video! I totally agree with Michelle and I really like all she said. First, I like the way about she talked about her parents, with all the respect and love of the world. Then, I like how she explained which way of future we have to create to try to have a "perfect" wold. Finally, I know that she is an inspiring woman to get our live goals and arrive where we want.
To conclude my opinion, I know that ALL she said is true and WOMANS ARE THE SOUL OF THE WORLD!!

Marc M said...

This video is amazing. Michelle Obama is a great person with much luck in this life. I completely agree with her. One of the motivating phrases that I liked is (with a good education and a lot of effort, there is nothing we can't to do).

Marta R said...

Both the video and Michelle Obama are spectacular, I agree with her in everything she says during the video. I like it when you tell the girls of that school that they will be the women who will build the world as it should be, I like it because it is a motivating phrase to fight with what you set out and not give up on your dreams.

evelyn said...

OMG! This video is very amazing. I love this video and I believe that Michelle Obama is a person very clever, kind and cool.

I like it because he said phrases very motivation and I believe everything can made but with a hard-working and study , for have a better future. I like she said.

Oriol Maltas Castro said...

OMG! I totally agree with what she's saying. Because in this woman are known for less than they do and they should e more valued and respected. Also because women are more than an object.
Women are powerfull, great and simplilly amazing.

meritxell.garrido said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
meritxell.garrido said...


I really liked it!
He spoke very well The discourse is about education, which I have encountered with a very interesting topic. I feel identified with her, her story has a lot to learn. We should continue studying to be able to control our destiny!

Mario said...

I loved the video and I totally agree with what Michelle Obama says. Since education should be the basis of our generation to have a better future. It also serves to reflect and think.

Natàlia Ruiz said...

Incredible speech. I love how she's been encouraging women to control their lives with the power of education. A lot of men should hear her speech, the future is the hard work of man and woman together without excluding anyone.
Michelle is a nice example of a strong woman to follow.

Francisca said...

I’m amazed, even though I shouldn’t because it’s Michelle Obama, and I know I shouldn’t judge what people say by who they are. But in conclusion, her speech was amazing, same as she is, and yes we women are great, awesome and perfect in our own ways.
I’ve watched her speech over and over again. And all i can say is BRAVO!!!