Shadowing Practice: Should social media platforms censor hate speech? | Nadine Strossen | Big Think - Learn English Speaking with Video

Creating lesson...
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social media platforms present the same issues that we have been grappling with with respect to older media but throughout human history every time a
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new medium of communication comes along many people including many government officials become very exercised about the new power and the allegedly new
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harms that are posed so we went through this when radio was invented when the telephone was invented when television was invented when the world wide web
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came to people's attention and in fact I have read that when the printing press was invented and when papyrus was invented there were similar eruptions of
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fear about this great new power to distribute information and the harm that can be done through information and disinformation so I think it's really
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important for us to have historic humility and not see what we're what we're going through now is inherently different and more dangerous than the
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past and I think that the same fundamental principles that have applied to other media should apply to social media as well first of all as private
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sector entities social media companies have absolutely no legal obligation to respect First Amendment rights free speech rights for anybody else so just
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as I have no right to participate in your wonderful film and I have no right to have an op-ed in the New York Times I have no right to have my post displayed
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on Facebook or Twitter and so forth moreover those companies have their own First Amendment rights to make their own editorial decisions about what
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expression they are going to allow on their platform and what they're not going to allow is somebody who defend free speech right for media company so along with other companies would oppose government
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restriction on the ability of these companies to decide what they will air and what they will not air however I will raise my voice to urge these
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companies to adhere as closely as as feasible to the same basic standards that are reflected in the First Amendment because I think that for all
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of the potential damage that can be done by various kinds of online communications including disinformation and so-called fake news and political
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ads and so forth that far more harm is done when we empower these largely unaccountable private sector you know really powerful entities to pick and
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choose what expression is going to be aired and what will not be aired and that danger is especially great when we are talking about political speech the
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Supreme Court has consistently said throughout history of all expression that is important in our system of government by far the most important is
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speech about public affairs speech about politics We the People to quote the opening words of our Constitution we wield sovereign power but how can we do
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that responsibly or effectively if we do not have access full access to information about those who are running for office those who are seeking our
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votes those who are making public policy decisions most of the time when people advocate censorship beyond the emergency situation in which First Amendment law
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allows speech to be censored most of the part-time people talk about the harm that speech can cause whether it be dissin formation / fake news or whether
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it be hate speech or whether it be terrorist content and I agree speech have an enormous capacity to do harm as well as an enormous capacity to do good
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we protect it precisely because it is so powerful but the argument 99.9 percent of the time starts and ends with the potential harm of free speech those who
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advocate censorship never examine whether censorship is going to be effective in addressing redressing reducing the harm they never address
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whether censorship to the contrary is going to do more harm than good and every situation that I'm aware of censorship actually ends up being
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ineffective in addressing the harms at stake at best or counterproductive at worse so disinformation well are we going to
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say that empowering mark zuckerberg and the other Titans of Silicon Valley to decide that certain speech is untrue is that actually going to solve our
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political problems I think to the contrary that is as threatening to democracy as it is to individual freedom likewise with respect to so-called hate
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speech that conveys discriminatory ideas against traditionally marginalized or excluded groups every hate speech law around the world to this day is
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disproportional and Forrest consistently against the very minority groups who are hoped to be protected and we shouldn't be surprised at that once you have these
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discretionary standards what is hate speech what is disinformation no two individuals can agree on such inherently subjective concepts and so by definition those who wield power are going to wield
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their discretion in ways that predictably are going to perpetuate their power and not empower those who have traditionally been silenced or
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marginalized

Context & Background

Nadine Strossen engages in a pivotal discussion about the role of social media platforms in regulating hate speech and the implications for free speech. Highlighting historical precedents from the invention of the printing press to the rise of the internet, she argues that similar fears about new forms of communication have recurred throughout history. Strossen emphasizes the importance of recognizing that today’s challenges, while unique, are not fundamentally different from those our ancestors faced. She advocates for maintaining First Amendment principles in the face of censorship debates, focusing on the necessity of open discourse, especially regarding political speech that informs public engagement and decision-making.

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

  • "Hate speech can do harm, but censorship may do more harm than good."
  • "The effectiveness of censorship is rarely evaluated by those who advocate for it."
  • "What constitutes hate speech is often subjective and can perpetuate existing power imbalances."
  • "Access to information is vital for citizens to make informed political decisions."
  • "We should approach new media with historic humility, recognizing past fears."

Step-by-step Shadowing Guide

Using the dialogue from Nadine Strossen’s talk can be an excellent opportunity to improve your English pronunciation and practice your speaking skills. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you get started with shadow speaking from this video:

  1. Listen Actively: Watch the video once without subtitles to grasp the overall message. Tune into the tone and pace of Strossen’s speech.
  2. Pause & Repeat: Play short sections of the transcript. Pause after each sentence or phrase and try to repeat it aloud, mimicking her intonation and stress patterns.
  3. Focus on Difficult Phrases: Identify the top five phrases listed above. Say them repeatedly until you feel comfortable pronouncing them correctly.
  4. Use a Shadowing App: Consider utilizing a shadowing app to record your attempts. This allows you to compare your pronunciation with the original audio and boost your confidence.
  5. Engage in English Speaking Practice: After shadowing, try to create your own sentences using the targeted phrases. This further reinforces their meaning and helps integrate them into your everyday vocabulary.

By applying these techniques within your learning routine, you can effectively enhance your speaking skills, develop clarity in pronunciation, and build confidence in expressing ideas about complex issues like free speech and censorship.

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.