Can free speech have limits?

Answer each question with 2–3 sentences.

1. Do you think people should be free to say anything?
2. Should there be limits on what newspapers can print?
3. Have you ever kept an opinion to yourself because it was risky?
4. Do you think hate speech should be illegal?
5. Should social media companies remove some posts?
6. Who should decide what is acceptable?

Read each word and the example. Then say a sentence about free speech.

Choose the word that fits.

1. The official control of what people may say, publish or broadcast is called .
2. Publicly urging people to commit violence is a crime in many countries, called .
3. A false written statement that damages someone's reputation is called .
4. Dictatorships often criticism completely, arresting those who speak.
5. Some rules the hours when protests may take place, but they do not ban them.
6. Defenders of free speech say that the state should the right of people to express unpopular opinions.
7. New requires large platforms to remove illegal content quickly.
8. Platforms are increasingly asked to accept for the content they publish.

Choose the right answer, then press Check answers.

1. censorship is official control of what people may
   wearsayeat
2. libel is a false
   spoken onlysilentwritten
   statement
3. to restrict = to
   copylimitincrease
4. to uphold = to
   ignoresellsupport
5. legislation =
   mapssongslaws
   made by a government
6. accountability = the duty to accept
   responsibilitygiftsholidays

Use these phrases to attribute views and quote sources.

• According to...За словами..., згідно з...According to Mill, only harm to others justifies limits.
• X maintains that...Х стверджує, що...She maintains that speech should be free.
• X takes the view that...Х дотримується думки, що...He takes the view that platforms should moderate.
• As X puts it,...Як висловився Х,...As Mill puts it, the only purpose of power is to prevent harm.
• In X's words,...Словами Х,...In his words, 'freedom needs responsibility'.
• To quote X,...Цитуючи Х,...To quote the judge, 'there are limits'.
• X is of the opinion that...Х вважає, що...The minister is of the opinion that the law is fair.
• By their own account,...За їхніми власними словами,...By their own account, the platform removed the post.

Read the text. Hover over the dotted words for help.

1. Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights concerns freedom of expression.
   TrueFalse
2. The text says that Mill believed that false opinions should never be heard.
   TrueFalse
3. The text says that libel and incitement are illegal in many countries.
   TrueFalse
4. The text says the Holmes remark is always quoted correctly.
   TrueFalse
5. The text suggests that the debate is now partly about private platforms.
   TrueFalse

1. Where would you draw the line on free speech?
2. Should private platforms have the power to remove speech?
3. Is hate speech different from offensive speech?
4. Does censorship ever protect people?

Common mistakes: use According to + noun (not according to me for your own view), X maintains / takes the view that + clause, as X puts it before a quotation, and in X's words. ✗ According him → According to him. ✗ She maintains to that → that. ✗ As Mill put it → as Mill puts it (present for a written text). ✗ He takes view that → takes the view that.

1. According toAccording
   Mill, only harm justifies limits.
2. She
   maintains thatmaintains to
   speech should be free.
3. As Mill
   put itputs it
   , power should only prevent harm.
4. He
   takes the view thattakes view that
   platforms should moderate.
5. The video
   allegedly showsallegedly to show
   the minister.
6. The editor said that the story
   will runwould run
   the next day.
7. This is not to say
   itthat
   censorship is justified.
8. The cartoon was
   not withnot without
   risk.

Each sentence has one mistake. Type the correct words.

1. According him, speech should be free. →
2. She maintains to that speech should be free. →
3. As Mill put it, power should only prevent harm. →
4. He takes view that platforms should moderate. →
5. The editor said that the story will run the next day. →
6. This is not to say it is justified. →

Answer in detail. Use attribution and the grammar of Block 9.

1. According to you, where should free speech stop?
2. What does a politician or writer maintain about free speech?
3. As someone once put it, what is a quotation you like?
4. What do you take the view that platforms should do?
5. What did a friend say about the news that you can report?
6. This is not to say that limits are good. Finish the idea.

Three people discuss free speech. Compare them. Who wants the fewest limits? Who wants the most? Whose view is closest to yours?

This is the final speaking task of Block 9. Your teacher will time you.

1. Plan for one minute, then speak for two minutes.
2. Part 1: say where you think free speech should stop (attribute at least one view to a source).
3. Part 2: use at least four structures from Block 9 (reported speech, a distancing expression, an argument phrase and a nuance expression).
4. Part 3: say what you would tell a young person about checking and sharing information.

1. Do you speak freely about politics?
2. Have you ever deleted a post?
3. Do you think some words should be banned?
4. Do you read comments under articles?
5. Have you ever reported a post?
6. Do you share news with friends?
7. Do you check a story before sharing it?
8. What would you never publish?

1. Who in your family is the most outspoken?
2. Who taught you to respect other views?
3. Who should enforce limits on speech?
4. Who do you trust to tell you the truth?
5. Who in public life has changed your mind?
6. Who should be responsible for fake news?

1. Should hate speech be illegal?
2. Should platforms remove fake news?
3. Is free speech more important than safety?
4. Should journalists protect their sources?
5. Can censorship ever be justified?