Three weeks ago, Laura (who is German), Lenka (from the Czech Republic), and I decided to turn an ordinary afternoon into a language-learning experience. Instead of sitting in a classroom or studying from textbooks, we planned something much more exciting: a second-hand shopping tour. Our idea was simple — to help each other learn German, Czech, and English by doing something we all enjoy (more or less): shopping!
We met in the city center on Wendsday afternoon and headed to our first stop — a cozy second-hand shop tucked away in a side street. Right away, we started pointing at clothes and exchanging vocabulary. Laura and i showed Lenka the German words for jeans (Jeans), shirt (Hemd), shoes (Schuhe), and T-shirt (T-Shirt — easy to remember!). Lenka then taught us the Czech equivalents: džíny for jeans, košile for shirt, boty for shoes, and tričko for T-shirt. It was fun comparing the words and noticing which ones were similar and which ones completely different. Surprisingly, we all realized that second hand shop is used in both German and Czech, just like in English — one less word to memorize!
As we walked around, we practiced using the new vocabulary in short sentences. Things like “Do these boty fit me?” or “I like this Hemd — what do you think?” helped us use the words naturally. We took turns trying on clothes: some jeans were too short, some shirts were too bright, and some shoes were just a little too weird. But in between all the laughter and language tips, we each found a few items we genuinely liked and decided to buy them.
After visiting the first second shop, we came up with a fun idea: each of us would dress another person in the most ridiculous, colorful, and creative outfit we could find. The goal was to be as silly and over-the-top as possible. Within minutes, we were trying on feathered hats, neon jackets, oversized sunglasses, glittery belts, and patterned pants from the 80s. Once we stepped out of the dressing rooms, we couldn’t stop laughing — we looked like we had just come from a carnival! As we were dressed up and took some photos, we got some strange looks from other people in the store.”
In the end, it wasn’t just about clothes or shopping. It was about learning through real-life situations, helping each other improve, and having a great time together.
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