🔎💬 Speech Analysis 💬🔎

JOHN F. KENNEDY

On the Nation's Space Efforts, September 1962.

John F. Kennedy's Address on the Nation's Space Efforts, September 12, 1962.

📄 Massachusetts Senator John F. Kennedy was elected president of the United States in November 1960. He took office in January 1961 amid severe tensions between the United States and Soviet Union. During his inaugural address, Kennedy suggested international cooperation in space efforts, but Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev refused. In April 1961 Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first person in space, raising fears among many Americans that the Soviets had technical superiority in the space race. 📃

📄 On September 12, 1962, Kennedy delivered an address at Rice University in Houston, Texas, home to NASA's mission control for future space missions. Kennedy used his speech to convince the American people of the need to support a robust space program and promised to land a human on the Moon within the decade. It would take the majority of the rest of the decade, but on July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 landed on the Moon, fulfilling Kennedy's promise. 📃

🎧 Now listen to the strategy the speaker employs in the following clip to persuade the audience. When a clip ends, read an analysis of its main technique.

1-4. Inclusive Language 

Kennedy makes a strong appeal to his audience by praising the city of Houston and using inclusive language such as "we".

📝Notes:

  By using inclusive language such as "we" and "our" and praising the setting of his speech, Kennedy develops a rapport with his audience. Inclusive language shows that the speaker identifies with the audience members and has their interests in mind, and this in turn makes the speaker appear more trustworthy to the audience.

⚠️ We'll return to this exercise to learn other speaking strategies used by this orator.