This one hour speaking lesson includes vocabulary, a reading, and discussion questions all about second-hand shopping. Students will have fun talking about this new and exciting topic in depth!

1. List the following items in order of most likely to buy second-hand to least likely.

Cars	Clothes	Electronics	Furniture	Appliances
Suitcases	Make-up	Books	Bicycles	Instruments
Purses	Children’s toys	Food	Shoes	A mattress

Compare your list with your partner’s. Do you agree/disagree? Why?

2. Match the following vocabulary with its definition.

3. Pre-reading questions: What are the pros and cons of buying and selling second-hand items?

4. As you read answer the questions. Is buying second hand becoming more or less popular?

Methods of Second-Hand Shopping

The second-hand market is big business nowadays with brick-and-mortar thrift shops, such as Goodwill in the United States which generates around $5 billion in revenue per year. But traditional thrift shops, or charity shops as they’re known in the U.K., are not the only successful second-hand business model. There are also online thrift shops, such as Thredup, that buy and sell used clothing from and to consumers.

There are also online marketplaces where consumers can interact with one another directly, such as Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist. On such sites, individuals can list their own items for sale and other individuals can buy the second-hand products directly. 

Another form of second-hand marketplace is the traditional garage sale, yard sale, or flea market. While not as popular as they were in the past due to the decreasing popularity of cash, these sales and markets are still considered a traditional part of some cultures. Flea markets can be as much about a festive day out and sampling local food as they can be about buying used items.

A more modern form of second-hand business is the rental company. As a pushback against fast fashion some corporations have started clothing rental companies, especially in big cities. Here consumers can rent instead of buy trendy clothing, which cuts down on the waste from the fast fashion industry. The rental clothing industry also makes it possible for consumers to use and wear many different items of fashionable, designer clothing for more affordable prices.

A final addition to the second-hand trend are food waste programs. One popular way to share food is through “community” fridges. These fridges are set up in public places in neighborhoods. Any food that you don’t want or don’t plan on finishing, you can contribute to the community fridge. Anyone who wants or needs the food can come and take the food for free. This cuts down on food waste.

As you can see there are many intriguing ways of sharing second-hand or gently used items nowadays. Second-hand shopping is big business and will likely continue to grow because of its affordability and zero-waste tendency.

5. Make a list of every type of second-hand option for buying and selling mentioned in the article.

6. In partners, discuss the following questions.

1. Which of the options listed above are most common in your country?  2. Why are those methods popular? 3. What are the pros and cons of PURCHASING second-hand items through each of the above methods? 4. What are the pros and cons of SELLING second-hand items through each of the above methods? 5. What’s your favorite option for PURCHASING second-hand items? Why? 6. What’s your favorite option for SELLING second-hand items? Why?

7. With your partner choose something that you would like to try to sell. It can be a used cell phone, a used car, an item of clothing, etc.

1. Decide how much you would like to charge for the item and why.
2. Decide what method you would use to sell it and why.
3. If you are selling the item online, then write your advertisement for the item. If you are selling the item at a garage sale or to a company write your “pitch” or what you would say to try to sell your item.
4. Now join up with another group. Share what you are selling, how, where, why, etc. Is the other group interested in buying the item? Why or why not?

If you enjoyed that lesson, try another 1-hour advanced conversation lesson about memorizing vocabulary.