That Time I Spoke at a Czech School: A Travel Story
One month into my around the world trip, I found myself in the Czech Republic with two friends, one from the United States and one from the Czech Republic.
To celebrate the sheer excitement, I went back to school. Ok, that’s not completely true, but my friends and I did go to my Czech friend’s bilingual high school in Olomouc, Czech Republic as guest speakers.
Why We were Speaking at a Czech School
As noted above, my Czech friend went to a bilingual high school – Czech and English. We were going to speak to the 4th and 5th year English classes to provide some native English exposure. Surprisingly, it’s not everyday that the town of Olomouc receives two young Americans who are willing to swing by and speak.
The Topics We Spoke On
So you’re probably wondering, what could I possibly offer Czech teenagers?? Rest assured, I did not encourage them all to become jobless and homeless nomads like me. Well, not completely anyway.
Both of my friends who were speaking alongside me are successful lawyers, and I have actually spent quite a few years in school as well – hello MBA! (Are you surprised?!)
We discussed how important education, English (due to globalization), and working hard to pursue your dreams is, and how anything is possible if you work towards it.
That might seem a bit extreme, but we also touched on practical things like how American and Czech colleges differ. Some students are considering going to the United States for college so it was the perfect opportunity for them to get their questions answered!
Additional Topics of Interest to the Students
We also answered questions like:
- What legal issues are most common in marketing and advertising? As I have worked for many years in legal marketing and one of my friends works in advertising law.
- What is the most popular European destination according to Americans? Definitely a bit more of a “fun” topic! What’s your guess?
- What unpleasant experiences have you had with people from the Czech Republic or other parts of Europe?
And we wrapped up with the concept of giving back.
As this very school and having an English education have made a large impact on my Czech friend’s life, including her career, it was a natural progression. Besides, it was the school’s impact that enabled her to study in places like England and the United States to make friends with people like me!
How did it benefit me and the students?
All in all, I believe speaking at the Czech school was a rewarding experience for the students, teachers, and us. It was a cultural exchange in a more formal setting. But for many students, they don’t have a lot of firsthand experience or opportunities to get the information from the horse’s mouth. (What a terrible expression when I’m the horse!)
We were able to provide insight into some of their outstanding questions about the United States, various careers, and cultural insights, and we also were able to learn more about their schooling, goals, and dreams. It was very inspirational.
Read additional Travel Stories.
