Shadowing Practice: Martin Luther King Jr. Greatest Speech Ever! - Learn English Speaking with Video

Choose a practice mode

Each mode opens a full-screen practice room.

47 sentences
If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.
1
I want to ask you a question and that is what is in your life's blueprint?
2
Number one in your life's blueprint should be don't allow anybody to make you feel that you are nobody.
3
Always feel that you count.
4
Always feel that you have worth.
5
and always feel that your life has ultimate significance.
6
Don't be ashamed of your color.
7
Don't be ashamed of your biological features.
8
Somehow you must be able to say in your own lives and really believe it, I am black but beautiful.
9
And believe it in your heart.
10
Secondly, in your life's blueprint,
11
you must have the determination to achieve excellence in your various fields of endeavor.
12
When you discover what you're going to be in life,
13
set out to do it as if God Almighty called you at this particular moment in history to do it.
14
It falls your lot to be a street sweeper.
15
Sweep streets like Michelangelo painted pictures.
16
Sweep streets like Beethoven and compose music, sweeps streets like Leon T.
17
Price sings before the Metropolitan Opera, and sweeps streets like Shakespeare wrote poetry.
18
And so from an old slave cabin of Virginia's heels, Booker T.
19
Washington rose up to be one of America's grid leaders.
20
He lit a torch in Alabama,
21
And darkness fled in that setting from a poverty-stricken area of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
22
Maren Anderson rose up to be the world's greatest contralto,
23
so that a Toscanini could say that a voice like this comes only once in a century, and Sibelius of Finland could say,
24
my roof is too low for such a voice, from crippling circumstances.
25
There came a George Washington Carver to carve for himself an imperishable niche in the annals of science.
26
Then came Joe Lewis and Muhammad Ali with their educated fists,
27
all of them came to tell us that we can be somebody.
28
Skin may differ, but affection dwells in black and white the same.
29
And if I were so tall as to reach the pole, or to grasp the ocean at a span,
30
I must be measured And by my soul, the mind is the standard of the man.
31
Finally, Finally, in your life's blueprint,
32
must be a commitment to the eternal principles of beauty, love, and justice.
33
Don't allow anybody to pull you so low as to make you hate them.
34
I close by quoting once more the man that the young lady quoted, Langston Hughes.
35
One day he wrote a poem entitled mother to son.
36
Well son I'll tell you, life for me ain't been no crystal stat, it's had tax in it.
37
Boards torn up places with no carpet on the floor bare.
38
But all the time, I's been a climbing on and reaching landings
39
and turning corners and sometimes going in the dark where But there ain't been no light.
40
So boy, don't you stop now.
41
Don't you sit down on the steps, cause you find this kind of hard.
42
But I still going, boy.
43
I still climbing.
44
And life for me ain't been no crystal stair.
45
If you can't run, walk.
46
If you can't walk, crawl.
47
But by all means, keep moving.

Download App

Everything you need to speak fluently

AI PronunciationScore every sentence
IPA PracticeMaster every sound
VocabularyBuild your word bank
Vocab GameLearn while playing
Scan QR
Scan QR
Download on theApp StoreGet it onGoogle Play
FOR YOU

Recommend Video

Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have A Dream" Speech | HistoryB2
7
49 sentences

Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have A Dream" Speech | History

IELTS PrepTOEFL PrepCambridge Exam Prep
Famous Speeches: The Shawshank RedemptionB2
15
27 sentences

Famous Speeches: The Shawshank Redemption

IELTS PrepTOEFL PrepCambridge Exam Prep
The Speech that Made Obama PresidentB2
19
80 sentences

The Speech that Made Obama President

IELTS PrepTOEFL PrepCambridge Exam Prep
John F. Kennedy's greatest Speech on PeaceB2
4
22 sentences

John F. Kennedy's greatest Speech on Peace

IELTS PrepTOEFL PrepUniversity Students
Nelson Mandela's Iconic Speech - Short VersionB1
3
5 sentences

Nelson Mandela's Iconic Speech - Short Version

IELTS PrepTOEFL PrepHigh School Students
Michelangelo - the Greatest Artist of All Time?B2
1
158 sentences

Michelangelo - the Greatest Artist of All Time?

Daily ConversationWorking Adults
ENGLISH SPEECH | KING CHARLES III: First Speech as King (English Subtitles)B2
8
79 sentences

ENGLISH SPEECH | KING CHARLES III: First Speech as King (English Subtitles)

IELTS PrepTOEFL PrepUniversity Students
I am a revolutionary speech by Fred Hampton (Judas and the black messiah)B2
3
52 sentences

I am a revolutionary speech by Fred Hampton (Judas and the black messiah)

IELTS PrepTOEFL PrepUniversity Students
The most powerful speech in TV historyB2
37
45 sentences

The most powerful speech in TV history

IELTS PrepTOEFL PrepUniversity Students
Malcolm X's Letter from HajjC1
1
49 sentences

Malcolm X's Letter from Hajj

Daily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
IELTS Speaking Part 2 | Describe A Famous PersonB2
13
41 sentences

IELTS Speaking Part 2 | Describe A Famous Person

IELTS PrepCambridge Exam PrepHigh School Students
Greatest Speech in American History (Abe Lincoln's Gettysburg Address)C1
10
21 sentences

Greatest Speech in American History (Abe Lincoln's Gettysburg Address)

IELTS PrepTOEFL PrepUniversity Students

Who Will Benefit from This Video?

This video is a goldmine for intermediate to advanced English learners aiming to boost their speaking skills, especially for IELTS speaking practice. It’s perfect if you want to sound more confident, use powerful vocabulary, and master emotional delivery. Whether you’re working on public speaking or everyday communication, the speech’s rhythmic flow makes it ideal for practicing the shadowing technique—repeating lines aloud right after the speaker to mimic tone and pace.

Words & Idioms Worth Stealing

  • "Blueprint": A plan for your life (not just a building!). Example: "What’s in your life’s blueprint?"
  • "Imperishable niche": A lasting, unique place. Used here to describe legacy. Example: "She carved an imperishable niche in science."
  • "By all means": No matter what. Example: "If you can’t run, walk—by all means, keep moving."
  • "Crystal stair": A smooth, easy life (from Langston Hughes’ poem). Example: "Life ain’t been no crystal stair, but I keep climbing."

How to Get the Accent Right

Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech is a masterclass in improve english pronunciation through rhythm and emphasis. To nail it with shadowspeak (shadowing), focus on: - Stress on key words: "Always feel that you count." Stress "count" to convey importance. - Long vowel sounds: In "beautiful" or "excellence," stretch the vowels to match his warm tone. - Pauses for impact: He pauses before phrases like "Finally, in your life’s blueprint"—copy these to build tension. Practice daily: Play a 10-second clip, pause, and repeat. Over time, you’ll notice your speech becomes more natural and persuasive.

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →