“Rhetoric is the art of enchanting the soul,” said Plato. At the American Rhetoric website, you can listen to many rhetorical speeches, some of which will enchant your soul, all of which will enhance your spoken English.
You can start with the Top 100 Speeches, the major political speeches in the 20th century. It includes the classics delivered by the politicians like John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, and Ronald Reagan. Ask not whether you agree with their political views; ask how you can learn from their oratory skills.
You can also start with the Movie Speeches, a collection of the speeches delivered by the lead actors in various movies. It includes the classic scenes like the General Patton’s address to the 3rd Army, the Wall Street financier Gekko’s speech in the stockholders’ meeting, and the revered Godfather’s testimony in the Congress.
Besides the audio or video form, each speech comes with the transcript as well.
