Học tiếng Anh qua bài phát biểu của Taylor Swif | Tự học IELTS Speaking | ELSA Speak

Summary

Taylor Swift's commencement speech at NYU celebrates the Class of 2022, reflecting on her own unconventional journey and the importance of resilience. She emphasizes the collective support systems that shape individuals, encourages graduates to embrace their unique paths, and shares life lessons about learning from mistakes and the value of perseverance.

Takeaways

• 🎓 **Gratitude and Recognition**: Taylor Swift expresses her gratitude to NYU's board, faculty, and fellow honorees, acknowledging the collective effort in making the commencement possible.
• 🤝 **Shared Success**: She emphasizes that no individual achieves success alone, highlighting the support from loved ones and mentors.
• 🎵 **Musical Connection**: Taylor jokes about her song '22' being the reason for her presence, showing her connection with the audience through her music.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 **Family Support**: She specifically thanks her family for their sacrifices, which allowed her to pursue her dreams.
• 🌟 **Inspirational Honorees**: Taylor mentions her fellow honorees, Susan Hockfield and Felix Matos Rodriguez, and how they inspire her with their contributions to the world.
• 🏛️ **Pandemic College Experience**: She acknowledges the unique challenges faced by the graduating class, who attended college during a global pandemic.
• 💡 **Life Hacks**: Taylor offers life advice, suggesting the importance of knowing what to keep and what to release in life.
• 😳 **Embrace Cringe**: She encourages graduates to accept and learn from moments of embarrassment or 'cringe'.
• 🚫 **Rejecting Shaming**: Taylor advises against being ashamed of trying and striving for what you want.
• ✍️ **Writing as a Metaphor**: She draws a parallel between her songwriting and the different ways people express themselves in writing.
• 🔄 **Mistakes and Growth**: Taylor shares her belief that mistakes often lead to the best outcomes and are essential for personal growth.
• 🌐 **Navigating Life**: She imparts that graduates will face choices and must learn to discern the right path, even when it's unclear.
• 🎉 **Celebration of Resilience**: Taylor celebrates the resilience of the graduates and herself, encouraging everyone to keep moving forward despite challenges.

Q & A

Who is the speaker at the commencement address?

The speaker is Taylor Swift.

What is the occasion Taylor Swift is addressing?

Taylor Swift is addressing the New York University's class of 2022 during their commencement ceremony.

Who are the fellow honorees Taylor Swift mentions in her speech?

Taylor Swift mentions Susan Hockfield and Felix Matos Rodriguez as her fellow honorees.

What is the significance of the song '22' to Taylor Swift's presence at the event?

Taylor Swift humorously suggests that the main reason she is at the event is because she has a song called '22', which aligns with the graduating class number.

What challenges did the graduating class of 2022 face during their college experience according to Taylor Swift?

The class of 2022 faced the challenges of attending college during a global pandemic, being locked in dorms, and having to attend classes over Zoom.

How does Taylor Swift describe her own educational journey?

Taylor Swift describes her educational journey as non-traditional, having finished high school through homeschooling and then going on a radio tour.

What advice does Taylor Swift give about carrying life's burdens?

Taylor Swift advises to know what to keep and what to release in life, suggesting that one should not carry all grudges and burdens.

What does Taylor Swift say about the inevitability of 'cringe' in life?

Taylor Swift says that 'cringe' is unavoidable over a lifetime and encourages not to hide one's enthusiasm for things.

How does Taylor Swift view the concept of making mistakes?

Taylor Swift views making mistakes as a part of the human experience that can lead to the best things in life.

What does Taylor Swift suggest about the pressure of living a perfect life?

Taylor Swift suggests that the pressure of living a perfect life is immense, but it's important to understand that everyone will inevitably make mistakes.

What does Taylor Swift mean when she says 'we are all writers'?

Taylor Swift means that everyone writes in different voices for different situations, like on social media, academically, or in personal correspondence, and that this is a part of our multifaceted identities.

Outlines

00:00

🎓 Commencement Address at NYU

Taylor begins her commencement speech by expressing gratitude to the NYU community and her fellow honorees. She humorously contrasts her previous stadium appearance with her current comfortable attire. Taylor acknowledges the collective effort behind each individual's success, emphasizing the support from loved ones and mentors. She shares her own journey, from performing in coffee houses to receiving an honorary doctorate, and encourages the graduates to appreciate their educational journey and the people who have supported them.

05:01

🌍 Pandemic College Experience

Taylor empathizes with the NYU class of 2022, who experienced college during the global pandemic. She contrasts their challenging college experience, marked by lockdowns and remote learning, with her own non-traditional education. Taylor reflects on the idea of a 'normal' college experience and the reality that life often presents unexpected challenges. She encourages the graduates to be proud of their achievements despite the obstacles they've faced.

10:04

🌟 Embracing Enthusiasm and Creativity

Taylor advocates for enthusiasm and effort, challenging the cultural stigma around eagerness. She shares her personal experiences in the music industry and how her passion for songwriting has driven her career. Taylor discusses the importance of creativity and the various forms it can take, from social media to academic writing. She encourages the graduates to embrace their passions and not be ashamed of trying.

15:05

🚫 Overcoming Criticism and Perfectionism

Taylor addresses the pressure of living up to societal expectations and the myth of perfection. She shares her experiences with criticism and public scrutiny, emphasizing that mistakes are a natural part of growth. Taylor encourages the graduates to learn from their mistakes and to not let the fear of failure hold them back. She reflects on the importance of resilience and the value of overcoming challenges.

20:08

💪 Navigating Life's Choices

In the final paragraph, Taylor speaks to the uncertainty and complexity of life after graduation. She acknowledges the difficulty of making decisions and the inevitability of making mistakes. Taylor encourages the graduates to trust their instincts and to learn from their experiences. She leaves them with a message of hope, resilience, and the importance of self-compassion as they embark on their post-graduate journey.

Keywords

💡Gratitude

Gratitude is the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness. In the script, Taylor Swift expresses gratitude to various individuals who have contributed to her success, such as her family, and to the NYU community for the honor of speaking at the commencement. It is a central theme as she encourages graduates to find their own way to express gratitude for the journey that led them to this point.

💡Pandemic

A pandemic is an outbreak of a disease that occurs over a wide geographic area and affects an exceptionally high proportion of the population. Taylor Swift references the global pandemic, acknowledging the unique challenges faced by the graduating class of 2022, who had to navigate their college experience during these unprecedented times.

💡Resilience

Resilience is the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness. The script emphasizes the resilience of the graduates, who had to adapt to a college experience marked by the pandemic, and the broader idea that overcoming obstacles can lead to personal growth and strength.

💡Cringe

Cringe refers to an involuntary, embarrassed reaction to an awkward or embarrassing situation. Taylor Swift uses the term to discuss the inevitability of making mistakes and the awkwardness that comes with it, suggesting that graduates should not shy away from these experiences but learn from them.

💡Catch and Release

In the context of the script, 'catch and release' is a metaphor for holding onto what is valuable and letting go of what is not. Taylor Swift advises graduates to decide what aspects of their past they should keep and what they should release as they move forward in life.

💡Mentorship

Mentorship involves a relationship in which a more experienced or knowledgeable person helps guide a less experienced or less knowledgeable person. The script acknowledges the role of mentors, teachers, and family members who have supported the graduates in their educational journey.

💡Authenticity

Authenticity is the state of being genuine and not false or imitation. Taylor Swift encourages graduates to embrace their enthusiasm and not hide their eagerness for things, promoting the idea of being true to oneself despite societal pressures to conform.

💡Writing

Writing, in the broadest sense, is used by Taylor Swift to represent the act of creating and expressing oneself through various forms of communication, not just the literal act of putting pen to paper. She relates her songwriting to the diverse ways people write and express themselves in different contexts.

💡Perfectionism

Perfectionism is the tendency to pursue excellence in everything one does, often with the fear of failure. Taylor Swift addresses the pressure of living up to perfectionist standards, sharing her own experiences and the realization that mistakes are part of the human experience and can lead to growth.

💡Rejection

Rejection is the act of refusing to accept, consider, or deal with something. In the script, Taylor Swift talks about her experiences with rejection and how it can lead to feelings of loneliness or failure, but also how it can be a catalyst for personal growth and redirection.

💡Intuition

Intuition is the ability to understand or know something immediately, without the need for conscious reasoning. Taylor Swift mentions intuition as one of the guiding forces in people's lives, suggesting that graduates should trust their instincts as they navigate their futures.

Highlights

Taylor Swift shares her gratitude for being invited to speak at NYU's graduation ceremony.

She acknowledges the presence of fellow honorees Susan Hockfield and Felix Matos Rodriguez.

Taylor Swift humorously attributes her invitation to her song '22'.

She emphasizes the collective effort behind individual success.

Taylor Swift expresses her pride in sharing the day with the graduating class of 2022.

She reflects on the importance of the support from loved ones in one's journey.

Taylor Swift admits she cannot find the words to thank her family for their sacrifices.

She addresses the unique challenges faced by NYU students during the pandemic.

Taylor Swift encourages graduates to be proud of their achievements despite the obstacles.

She shares her own non-traditional educational journey, including homeschooling and touring.

Taylor Swift humorously describes her honorary doctorate as not being the type for medical emergencies.

She advises graduates to learn to live alongside cringe and not be ashamed of trying.

Taylor Swift discusses the importance of writing and how it has guided her life.

She reflects on the pressure of being a public figure from a young age and the unsolicited advice that came with it.

Taylor Swift shares her perspective on the value of making mistakes and learning from them.

She encourages graduates to trust their instincts and make their own life choices.

Taylor Swift leaves the graduates with a message of resilience and the importance of breathing through life's challenges.

Transcripts

hi i'm taylor

[Applause]

last time i was in a stadium this size i

was dancing in heels and wearing a

glittery leotard

this outfit is much more comfortable

i would like to say

a huge thank you to nyu's chairman of

the board of trustees

bill berkley

and all the trustees

and members of the board

nyu's president andrew hamilton

provost catherine fleming

and the faculty and alumni here today

who have made this day possible

i feel so

proud to share this day

with my fellow honorees susan hockfield

and felix matos rodriguez

who humble me

with the ways they improve our world

with their work

as for me

i'm 90 sure the main reason i'm here is

because i have a song called 22

and let me just say

i am

elated

to be here with you today as we

celebrate and graduate

new york university's class of 2022

not a single one of us here today has

done it alone

we are each

a patchwork quilt of those who have

loved us

those who have believed in our futures

those who showed us empathy and kindness

or told us the truth even when it wasn't

easy to hear

those who told us we could do it when

there was absolutely no proof of that

someone

read stories to you

and taught you to dream

and offered up some moral code of right

and wrong for you to try and live by

someone tried their best to explain

every concept in this insanely complex

world to the child that was you

as you asked a bazillion questions like

how does the moon work and why can we

eat salad but not grass

and maybe they didn't do it perfectly

no one ever can

maybe they aren't with us anymore

in that case i hope you'll remember them

today

if they are in this stadium i hope

you'll find your own way

to express your gratitude for all the

steps

and missteps

that have led us

to this common destination

i know that words are supposed to be my

thing but i will never be able to find

the words to thank my mom and dad

my brother austin for the sacrifices

they made every day so i could go from

singing in coffee houses to standing up

here with you all today because no words

would ever be enough

to all the incredible parents family

members

mentors

teachers

allies

friends and loved ones here today who

have supported these students

in their pursuit of educational

enrichment

let me say to you now

welcome to new york

it's been waiting for you

i'd like to thank nyu for making me

technically

on paper at least

a doctor

[Applause]

not the type of doctor you would want

around in case of an emergency

unless your specific emergency was that

you desperately needed to hear a song

with a catchy hook and an intensely

cathartic bridge section

or if your emergency was that you needed

a person who can name over 50 breeds of

cats in one minute

[Applause]

i never got to have

a normal

college experience per se

i went to public high school until 10th

grade

and then finished my education doing

homeschool work on the floors of airport

terminals

then i went out out on the road for

radio tour which sounds

incredibly glamorous

but in reality

it consisted of a rental car

motels

and my mom and i pretending to have loud

mother-daughter fights with each other

during boarding so no one would want the

empty seat between us on southwest

as a kid

i always thought i would go away to

college

imagining the posters i would hang on

the wall of my freshman dorm

i even set the ending of my music video

from my song love story

at my fantasy

imaginary college where i meet a male

model reading a book on the grass and

with one

single glance we realized we had been in

love in our past lives

which is exactly what you guys all

experienced at some point in the last

four years right

[Applause]

but i

really can't complain

about not having a normal college

experience to you

because you

went to nyu during a global pandemic

being essentially locked into your dorms

and having to do classes over zoom

everyone in college during normal times

stresses about test scores but on top of

that

you also had to pass like a thousand

cova tests

i imagine

the idea of a normal college experience

was all you wanted to

but in this case

you and i both learned

that you don't always get all the things

in the bag that you selected from the

menu

in the delivery surface that is life

you get what you get

and as

i would like to say to you

wholeheartedly you should be very proud

of what you've done with it

today

you leave new york university

and then go out into the world

searching what's next

and so will i

[Music]

so as a rule

i try not to give anyone

unsolicited advice

unless they ask for it

i'll go into this more later i guess i

have been

officially solicited in this situation

to impart

whatever wisdom i might have to tell you

things that have helped me so far in my

life

please bear in mind that i in no way

feel qualified to tell you what to do

you've worked

and struggled and sacrificed and studied

and dreamed

your way here to dare

and so

you know what you're doing

you'll do things differently than i did

them

and for different reasons

so i won't tell you what to do because

no one likes that i will however

give you some life hacks i wish i knew

when i was starting out my dreams of a

career

and navigating life

love

pressure

choices

shame

hope and friendship

the first of which is

life

can be heavy

especially if you try to carry it all at

once

of growing up

and moving into new chapters of your

life

is about catch and release

what i mean by that is

knowing what things to keep

and what things to release

you can't carry all things

all grudges

all updates on your ex

all enviable promotions your school

bully got at the hedge fund his

uncle started

decide

what is yours to hold

and let the rest go

oftentimes the good things in your life

are lighter anyway

so there's more room for them

one toxic relationship

can outweigh so many wonderful simple

joys

you get to pick

what your life has time and room for

be discerning

secondly

learn to live

alongside

cringe

no matter

how hard you try to avoid being cringe

you will

look back on your life

and cringe retrospectively

cringe

is unavoidable over a lifetime

even the term cringe might someday be

deemed cringe

i promise you

you're probably doing or wearing

something right now that you will look

back on later and find revolting and

hilarious

you can't avoid it so don't try to

for example i had a phase where for the

entirety of 2012 i dressed like a 1950s

housewife

but you know what i was having fun

trends and phases are fun

looking back and laughing is

fun and while we're talking about things

that make us squirm but really shouldn't

i'd like to say i'm a big

advocate for not hiding your enthusiasm

for things

it seems to me that there is a false

stigma

around eagerness

in our culture of unbothered

ambivalence

this outlook perpetuates the idea that

it's not cool to want it

the people who don't try are

fundamentally more chic than people who

do

and i wouldn't know because i've been a

lot of things but i've never been an

expert on chic but i'm the one who's up

here so you have to listen to me when i

say this

never

be ashamed

of trying

effortlessness is a myth

the people who wanted it the least

were the ones i wanted to date and be

friends with

in high school

the people who want it the most

are the people i now hire to work for my

company

i write it's i started writing songs

when i was 12.

and since then it's been the compass

guiding my life and in turn

my life guided my writing

everything i do

is just

an extension of my writing whether it's

directing videos or a short film

creating the visuals for a tour

or standing on a stage performing

everything is connected

by my love of the craft

the thrill of working through ideas and

narrowing them down

and polishing it all up in the end

editing waking up in the middle of the

night throwing out the old idea because

you just thought of a newer better one

or a plot device that ties the whole

thing together

there's a reason they call it a hook

sometimes a string of words

just

ensnares me and i can't

focus on anything until it's been

recorded or written down

as a songwriter i've never been able to

sit still

or stay in one creative place for too

long

i've made and released 11 albums and in

the process i've switched genre from

country

to pop to alternative to folk

and this might sound like a very

songwriter-centric

line of discussion

but in a way

i really do think

we are all

writers

and most of us

write in a different voice for different

situations

you write

differently in your instagram stories

than you do your senior thesis

you send a different type of email to

your boss than you do your best friend

from home

we are all

literary chameleons and i think it's

fascinating

it's just a continuation of the idea

that we are so many things

all the time

and

i know it can be really overwhelming

figuring out who to be

and when who you are now

and how to act in order to get where you

want to go

i have some good news

it's totally up to you

i have some terrifying

news it's totally up to you

i said to you earlier

that i don't ever offer advice unless

someone asked me for it and now i'll

tell you why

as a person who started my very public

career

at the age of 15

it came with a price

and that price

was years

of unsolicited advice

being the youngest person in every room

for over a decade

meant

that i was constantly being issued

warnings

from older members of the music industry

media interviewers executives and this

advice

often presented itself

as thinly veiled warnings

see i was a teenager

at a time when our society was

absolutely obsessed with the idea

of having perfect

young female role models

it felt like every interview i did

included slight barbs by the interviewer

about me one day

running off the rails

and that meant a different thing

to every person who said it to me so

i became a young adult while being fed

the message

that if i didn't make

any mistakes

all the children of america would grow

up to be perfect angels

however if i did slip up

the entire earth would fall off its axis

and it would be entirely my fault and i

would go to pop star jail

forever and ever

it was all centered around the idea

that mistakes

equal

failure

and ultimately

the loss

of any chance at a happy or rewarding

life

this

has not been my experience

my experience has been that my mistakes

led to the best things in my life

and

being embarrassed when you mess up

it's part of the human experience

getting back up

dusting yourself off

and seeing who still wants to hang out

with you afterward and laugh about it

that's a gift

the times i was told no

or wasn't included

wasn't chosen didn't win didn't make the

cut

looking back it really feels like those

moments

were as important if not more crucial

than the moments i was told yes

not being invited

to the parties and sleepovers in my

hometown

made me feel hopelessly lonely

but because i felt alone

i would sit in my room and write the

songs that would get me

a ticket somewhere else

having label executives in nashville

tell me

that only 35 year old housewives

listened to country music

and there was no place for a 13 year old

on their roster

made me cry in the car on the way home

but then

i'd post my songs on my myspace

and yes myspace

and i would message with other teenagers

like me who loved country music but just

didn't have anyone singing from their

perspective

having journalists write in-depth

oftentimes critical pieces about who

they perceive me to be

made me feel like i was living in some

weird simulation

but it also made me look inward

to learn about who i actually am

having the world treat my love life like

a spectator sport in which i lose every

single game

was not a great way to date in my teens

and

twenties but it taught me

to protect my private life fiercely

being publicly humiliated over and over

again at a young age was excruciatingly

painful

but it forced me

to devalue the ridiculous notion

of minute by minute

ever fluctuating social relevance and

likability

[Applause]

getting cancelled on the internet

and nearly losing my career

gave me an excellent knowledge of all

the types of wine

[Applause]

i know i sound

like a consummate optimist but i'm

really not

i lose perspective all the time

sometimes

everything

just feels completely pointless

i know the pressure

of living your life through the lens of

perfectionism

and i know that i'm talking to a group

of perfectionists because you are here

today

graduating from nyu

so this might be hard for you to hear

in your life

you will inevitably

misspeak

trust the wrong person

under react

overreact

hurt the people who didn't deserve it

overthink

not think at all

self-sabotage

create a reality

where only your experience exists

ruin perfectly good moments for yourself

and others deny any wrongdoing

not take the steps to make it right feel

very guilty

let the guilt eat at you hit rock bottom

finally address the pain you caused try

to do better next time

rinse repeat

[Applause]

and i'm not gonna lie

these mistakes

will cause you to lose things

i'm trying to tell you

that losing things

doesn't just mean losing

a lot of the time when we lose things

we gain things too

now you leave the structure and

framework

of school

and chart your own path

every choice you make leads to the next

choice which leads to the next and i

know it's hard

to know

which path to take

there will be times in life where you

need to stand up for yourself

times when the right thing is actually

to back down and apologize

times when the right thing is to fight

times when the right thing is to turn

and run

times to hold on with all you have

and times to let go with grace

sometimes the right thing to do is to

throw out the old schools of thought in

the name of progress and reform

sometimes the right thing to do is to

sit and listen to the wisdom of those

who have come before us

how will you know

what the right choice is in these

crucial moments

you won't

how do i give advice to this many people

about their life choices

i won't

the scary news is

you're on your own now

but the cool news is

you're on your own now

[Applause]

i leave you with this

we are led

by our gut instincts

our intuition

our desires and fears our scars and our

dreams

and you will screw it up sometimes

so will i

and when i do you will most likely read

about it on the internet

anyway hard things will happen to us

we will recover

we will learn from it

we will grow more resilient because of

it

and as long as we are fortunate enough

to be breathing

we will breathe in

breathe through

breathe deep

and breathe out

and i am a doctor now so i know how

breathing works

i hope you know

how proud

i am

to share this day with you

we're doing this together

so let's just keep dancing like we're

the class of 22.

[Applause]