If you have the proper software (like RealPlayer G2, which you can download from http://www.real.com/products/player/index.html), you can hear and sometimes see former Presidents and the current President present political speeches. At some sites you can watch well-known individuals give a presentation; other sites just permit you to listen to a speech.
THE CMU PRONOUNCING DICTIONARY
It uses phonetic markings to help you pronounce words properly.
http://www.speech.cs.cmu.edu/cgi-bin/cmudict/
C-SPAN ON-LINE (REAL AUDIO)
This site will let you listen to speeches in congress and other political presentations.
http://www.broadcast.com/television/c-span/
HISTORY CHANNEL ARCHIVE OF FAMOUS SPEECHES
Each day a famous speech is presented. There is also a RealAudio archive of famous
speeches.
http://www.historychannel.com/speeches/index.html
MSU VINCENT VOICE LIBRARY
This site will permit you to hear recordings of U.S. Presidents and other famous people in
history.
http://www.lib.msu.edu/vincent/
WEBCORP HISTORICAL SPEECHES ARCHIVE
You can hear speeches from the 1930's and after. You can also see video presentations from
around the time of the Nixon Watergate scandal.
http://www.webcorp.com/sounds/
As you view the speeches of famous orators, we suggest that rather than trying to imitate the delivery of these speakers, you evaluate the appropriateness of the delivery style for the audience and occasion. Consider the following about the speaker's oral delivery:
1 . Did the speaker use appropriate vocal variation in inflection, rate, volume and intensity of the voice.
2. Was the style of vocal delivery appropriate for the audience and occasion?
3 . Did the speaker show evidence of adapting to the audience as he/she presented the speech or did the speaker only read a prepared text from a manuscript?
If you can both see and hear the speaker, consider these questions:
1 . Did the speaker have effective eye contact?
2 . Were the speaker's gestures appropriate for the audience, occasion, and style of presentation?
3 . Did the speaker use movement appropriately?
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