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Anglo-Chinese School (Independent)

English Language and Literature Department
LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE
IBDP 1
Analysing Michelle Obama’s Speech (Transcript)
Name: Class: Title of Speech: DNC (2008)/Let Girls Learn (2016)/ Commencement Speech
(2020) This worksheet should be filed in your Learner Portfolio.

Instructions to students:
(1) Answer the questions (in bold) from the Areas of Exploration.
2) Highlight the concepts in the speech.
(3) Highlight the relevant Fields of Inquiry in the speech selected.
(4) Identify the main issues in the speech.
(5) What global issue is addressed?
(6) Link to broader work: How does this speech link to the other 2 speeches that she has made. You could also refer to other speeches of
Michelle Obama that we have not covered in class.
(7) Fill in the last sheet – be as detailed as possible.
This task should be submitted in the first week of January 2022.

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 Readers, Writers and Texts
Why and how do we study language
and literature?
How are we affected by texts in
various ways?
In what ways is meaning constructed,
negotiated, expressed and
interpreted?
How does language use vary
amongst text types and amongst
literary forms?
How does the structure or style of
a text affect meaning?
The structure adopted by Michelle
Obama throughout this speech, from
the formation of a personal
connection with the audience at the
start, horrifying them with the lives of
girls around the world, painting her
campaign as something that can save
them, and finally giving the audience
hope to empower them to help the
cause, allows her to systematically
persuade the audience to contributing
to Let Girls Learn. Her mentioning the
struggles of girls, before mentioning
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Time and Space
How important is cultural or historical
context to the production and reception of
a text?
Cultural and Historical context are absolutely
essential to the understanding of text. The
oppression of women has not been as
prominent an issue throughout history as it was
at the time of this speech, in the 21st century.
Without knowing this, the reader may feel
puzzled as to why Michelle Obama appears to
be propagating ideas for the education of girls.
How do we approach texts from different times
and cultures to our own?
To what extent do texts offer insight into
another culture?
How does the meaning and impact of a text
change over time?
How do texts reflect, represent or form a part
of cultural practices?
How does language represent social
distinctions and identities?
What do we learn about through the study of a
literary text? How is this different from what we
Intertextuality
How do texts adhere to and deviate from
conventions associated with literary forms or
text types?
How do conventions and systems of
reference evolve over time?
In what ways can diverse texts share points
of similarity?
How valid is the notion of a classic text?
How can texts offer multiple perspectives
of a single issue, topic or theme?
This text offers 2 distinct perspectives on this
issue. The former is dark, and paints a picture
of hopelessness, with the atrocities
committed against women around the world
being mentioned by michelle Obama.
However, she also provides a hopeful
perspective to the audience, in that if they
unite and work towards improving the lives of
girls that they “all up to the task”.
In what ways can comparison and
interpretation be transformative?
how let girls learn helps girls around learn through the study of a non-literary text?
the world, gives the audience context
as to why Let girls learn in required,
thus helping them understand it
better.

How do texts offer insights and

challenges?

CONCEPTS FIELDS OF INQUIRY / SDG MAIN ISSUES

1. Identity 1. Culture, Identity and Community Main Issues in the Speech
Violence and cruelty towards girls pursuing
2. Culture 2. Beliefs, values and education education

Girls enduring poor living conditions in order

3. Communication
to get an education
3. Politics, power and justice
4. Creativity Global Issue
4. Art, creativity and the imagination
5. Perspective Has the patriarchal nature of human society
as well as the lack of campaigning for
5. Science, technology and the environment women’s rights resulted in a lack of
6. Transformation
opportunities for education for them?

7. Representation
Link to broader work

DNC speech : The enduring of the American

dream propagated by Obama in this speech
ties in with education helping to lift people out
of poor living conditions, poverty in this
speech
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  What is the speech Structure of Main point(s) Rhetorical Tone (from the Other points to note
about? speech Devices transcript only)
 Is there a context used
to it?
 What about the
connection to the
her life?

The speech is part of Paragraph 1 Introduction Personal Confident, charismatic

campaigning efforts for connection to
Michelle Obama’s the public
program to help girls in
poor living conditions
around the world get
access to education, Let
Girls Learn. In the
speech, she talks about
how girls have been
punished for wanting to
have an education, how
girls have struggled and
protested to get an
education, as well as the
efforts taken by Let Girls
Learn in order to help
them. She talks about
instances where the
campaign has helped
girls in getting their
education, as well as the
collaborative efforts of
various groups in order to
achieve the campaign’s
goal. Finally, she invites
those listening to
contribute to her cause
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 as well.
The context for this speech Paragraph 2 Mrs Nancy warm Supports the importance
lies in the oppression of Reagan’s death, of having mentors and
women around the world. how she stood to support for a woman,
As described in the speech, be an example of her, to succeed.
the poor living conditions a strong woman
faced by women provides role model for
context for why such a girls
speech is held in the first Paragraph 3 Continued praise Warm Could hint to the
place. for Mrs Reagan, audience how, since
and her Mrs Reagan was the
relationship with wife of a republican, and
her. michelle Obama is the
wife of a democrat, that
the support between
women matters more
than political boundaries
Paragraph 4 Praise for another Warm Similar effect to para 2-3
woman,
Ambassador
power
Paragraph 5 Praise for Warm Similar effect to para 2-3
Ambassador for
Global Women’s
Issues, Cathy
Russel

Parapgraph 6 Description of Pathos Dark This paragraph jarringly

terrible conditions brings the audience
for schoolgirls back from the rather
around the world, warm introductory
their lack of paragraphs, to remind
access to an them that despite their
education comfortable state at that
moment of time, many
girls around the world
still face obstacles to
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 their education. This
appeals to their
emotions, and makes
them more susceptible
to her later pleas for
contributions to her
campaign.
Michelle Obama has a Add on for the Throughout the Repetition “ This sequence allows
personal connection with rest of the rest of the  I know we for Obama to
this issue in that she paragraphs speech, Obama are all up to systematically persuade
grew up poor, and not talks about the the task.  I the audience into
many people in her struggles that know we helping her cause. by
neighbourhood went to girls around the are.” first appealing to their
university, however, world face in emotion by describing
through her “struggle” getting an And no, it will the hardships that girls
she pushed through all education even not be easy. around the world face,
odds and was admitted to though they want  And it will she evokes empathy
study at Princeton one. She then not be quick. and pity from the
University. She then talks about Let audience. She then
continued her education Girls Learn and paints her campaign as
and graduated from the positive a saviour in a sea of
Harvard Law School impacts that it depressive emotions,
before joining a Chicago has had on the and highlights the
based law firm, Sidley & lives of these positive impacts that it
Austin. girls. Finally, she has had on girls’ lives
ties in a sense of around the world, with
hope in the last examples, making it
few paragraphs. seem more useful than
it might be. Finally, by
encouraging the
audience that they can
help girls get
educations, she
motivates them to look
past the dark images
that she has created,
and this might motivate
them to help, instead of
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 letting them resign their
fates.

Let Girls Learn, a program to open up educational opportunities for girls around the world started by Michelle and Barack Obama in
2015,

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