Shadowing Practice: Lady Hale: Do We Have The Right To Die? - Learn English Speaking with Video

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Do we have the right to die?

And of course, it does all depend what you mean by a right.

I am a lawyer, so I would distinguish between two different sorts of right.

A negative right, which is the freedom to do something without being interfered with, either by the state or by other people.

And a positive right, which is the right to be provided with something by other people.

Now, We already have.

the negative right to die because we are free to refuse life -sustaining treatment.

including fairly aggressive life sustaining like the machine you were just talking about.

We have the right to refuse food and drink.

We have the right to refuse drugs that will cure Uh, terminal disease that we have.

So we already have that freedom.

We have the right to take even more active steps to kill ourselves because suicide is no longer a crime.

So the question really is, Are we also free to seek the assistance of somebody else to help us die.

when we can't do it ourselves or we don't fancy any of those options.

And The case that we had in the Supreme Court that asked that question very forcibly was a case concerning three people,

but one of whom was Paul Nicklinson.

All three of these people had suffered catastrophic injuries.

and were now very, very seriously disabled.

Unable basically to move other than to blink an eye or sometimes to move their head, occasionally just to move an arm a little bit,

but they were very seriously disabled.

They had been so for some years and had reached the conclusion that they did not want to go on.

but there were none of them dependent on a ventilator.

Had they been dependent on a ventilator, they could have said, "Turn it off." But they couldn't do that,

so their current choices were to refuse food, drink, essential medication.

So, I think that's a good question.

And all of them really wanted somebody to help them to die.

And we in the Supreme Court were asked to make a declaration as to whether

that was incompatible with their human rights and the European Court of human rights in Strasbourg,

has said that there is a human right to decide the place and manner of one's own.

Passing.

And so two of us in the Supreme Court, there were nine of us, Two of us took the view that denying people that right was,

obviously not always, but in the circumstances of those people, incompatible with their human rights.

Three of the other justices said, "Well, yes, we might do that, but not now, not yet." You know,

because Parliament is thinking about it and we think it's not the right case to do it.

And four of them said, even though the Supreme Court is free to declare that something,

this current state of the law is incompatible with human rights.

We don't think we should be doing it.

So I'm afraid that case convinced me that there was no...

easily sustainable moral distinction between turning off the ventilator.

And helping somebody.

to have a peaceful, dignified death in those circumstances.

So the issues are, In what circumstances?

What should the criteria be?

and Clearly, there have to be safeguards and procedures.

And so what should the safeguards and procedures be?

And there's loads to argue about in relation to both of those things, all of those things.

But the fundamental question, I think, yes we should have the freedom to ask other people to help us to die.

Those other people should be free to say no.

It's their choice just as much as it is the person who wishes to die's choice.

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About This Lesson

In this lesson, you will dive into a thought-provoking discussion about the right to die, as presented by Lady Hale. You will practice listening and speaking skills with a focus on improving your English pronunciation through shadowing techniques. By engaging with the material in this video, you will enhance your understanding of complex legal and moral concepts while gaining the ability to articulate your thoughts clearly and confidently. This lesson will be particularly useful for those looking to expand their vocabulary related to ethics, law, and personal autonomy.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

Negative right: The freedom to do something without interference.
Positive right: The right to receive support or resources from others.
Life-sustaining treatment: Medical interventions that maintain life.
Terminal disease: A condition that is incurable and leads to death.
Human rights: Basic rights that belong to every person.
Dignified death: A respectful and peaceful passing.
Assisted dying: Receiving help from others to end one's life.
Safeguards and procedures: Measures to ensure safety and legality in sensitive circumstances.

Practice Tips

To make the most out of this lesson and improve your English pronunciation, consider using a shadowing app or practicing shadow speech. Listen to the video at a slower speed, if necessary, to grasp the nuances of Lady Hale's tone and enunciation. Pay close attention to her pauses, intonation, and phrasing as you repeat her words. This shadowspeaks method allows you to mimic her delivery while also understanding the content deeply.

Here are a few tips for effective shadowing:

Start by listening to a short segment of the video, then pause and repeat what you've heard.
Focus on pronunciation, paying attention to the articulation of words like "dignified" and "autonomy."
Record yourself during practice sessions to track your progress and identify areas for improvement.
Integrate vocabulary from the lesson into your daily conversations to reinforce your learning.

By consistently applying these practices, you will not only improve your pronunciation but also gain confidence in discussing complex topics related to ethics and law.

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

Structure	In the video
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it	being interfered · be provided · were asked
Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing	right, which is · person who wishes

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 →

Shadowing Practice: Lady Hale: Do We Have The Right To Die? - Learn English Speaking with Video

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About This Lesson

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

Practice Tips

Grammar in this video

What is the Shadowing Technique?