After taking some time to rest his ankle, Paolo is ready to move on to the penultimate stop on their journey: l’Abbazia di San Galgano. The pair take the time to explore the roofless walls of the 13th-century Abbey church and even see the famous spada nella roccia! Mark and Francesca also discuss when to use pronto a and pronto per, as well as the use of the direct object pronoun lo.
Month: July 2020
CBG To Go 2.09 | Was war der letzte Film, den du gesehen hast? – What was the last film you saw?
In this episode of Coffee Break German To Go, Julia asks the question Was war der letzte Film, den du gesehen hast? (informal) or Was war der letzte Film, den Sie gesehen haben? (formal). You can use the answers of our interviewees to help you answer this question in German.
In the first part of the video, watch the interviews without subtitles and try to understand. In the second part of the video, we’ve provided subtitles in German at the top of the screen. You can choose to turn on subtitles in English using the Subtitles/CC button.
In our second series, Julia is in the city of Berlin, and in each episode she’ll ask passers-by one question. Of course, that one question will result in many answers, and it’s through these answers that you can practise your German and build your vocabulary.
If you’d prefer not to wait for all 10 lessons of Season 2 to be published, you can access downloadable versions of the videos along with audio versions and lesson notes / transcripts in the Coffee Break Academy.
Coffee Break German To Go is based on the popular podcast series and online course Coffee Break German. For access to the free podcasts, please click here.
To purchase our full online courses on the Coffee Break Academy, click here.Was war der letzte Film, den du
Chambres d’hôtes – Coffee Break French Travel Diaries Episode 9
Lara and Noah round off their time in Albertville by getting to know the locals at une chambre d’hôtes (a guesthouse), before travelling further into the mountains to the ski resort of Aime-la-Plagne. Listen out for an example of the construction, afin de + infinitive, the origin of the verb héberger, as well as some pronunciation tips.
CBS To Go 2.09 | ¿Cuál fue la última película que viste? – What was the last film you saw?
In this episode of Coffee Break Spanish To Go, Marina asks the question, ¿Cuál fue la última película que viste? (informal) or ¿Cuál fue la última película que vio usted? (formal). You can use the answers of our interviewees to help you answer this question in Spanish.
In the second part of the video, we’ve provided subtitles in Spanish at the top of the screen. You can choose to turn on subtitles in English using the Subtitles/CC button.
In this second series of Coffee Break Spanish To Go, Marina is in the city of Salamanca in Spain, and in each episode she’ll ask passers-by one question. Of course, that one question will result in many answers, and it’s through these answers that you can practise your Spanish and build your vocabulary.
Coffee Break Spanish To Go will be published every two weeks here on YouTube, and each Season will be filmed in a different part of the Spanish-speaking world.
If you’d prefer not to wait for all 10 lessons of Season 2 to be published, you can access downloadable versions of the videos along with audio versions and lesson notes / transcripts in the Coffee Break Academy.
Coffee Break Spanish To Go is based on the popular podcast series and online course Coffee Break Spanish. For access to the free podcasts, please click here.
To purchase our full online courses on the Coffee Break Academy, click here.
A Coffee Break Conversation with French learner Stephen
In this episode of Coffee Break Conversations we’re talking to Stephen, a Coffee Break French learner from California. Stephen explains that even if you’re not able to access native speakers of the language you’re learning, there are still ways in which you create a daily immersive learning experience: “the more ways you can go about exposing yourself to a language, the richer and more rewarding the experience will be”.
CBSw 1.12 | Vad vill du beställa?
Hej! We hope you’re feeling hungry as this week’s episode of Coffee Break Swedish is all about food! In Episode 11, we learned how to order drinks and cakes in a café. We’re taking this a step further this week as we’re learning how to order food and understand a lunch menu. We’ll hear lots of new vocabulary and we’ll learn more about the Scandinavian equivalent to Spanish tapas – the popular Smörgåsbord. You don’t want to miss this useful lesson!
Chapitre 5 – Max était bien un battant …
The mystery continues in Chapter 5 of La Vérité éclate toujours as James arrives at the hospital to see Max, only to discover that he is in a critical condition. As James tries to make sense of what has happened, he wonders what Max has got himself involved in. Sur quoi donc travaillait Max ? Jouait-il avec le feu ? He has so many questions, but none of the answers! Keep listening to expand your range of expression in French and to find out the answers to these mysterious questions.
Welcome to our new podcast for advanced French learners. In each episode of the story, published fortnightly, we’ll be following a chapter of La Vérité éclate toujours, specially written to help you build your knowledge of French and extend your range of expression. In the episodes, teacher Mark and narrator Pierre-Benoît will discuss the story, helping you to improve your listening skills.
There’s also an online course version of La Vérité éclate toujours which provides access to a range of additional materials including the text of each chapter, annotated notes, language study podcasts, vocabulary lists, video versions of each episode and our atelier linguistique which helps you to take the language you’ve covered in each chapter further. This course is available on the Coffee Break Academy.
Incontri inaspettati – Coffee Break Italian Travel Diaries Episode 8
Following an unexpected trip to the hospital in last week’s episode, Giulia and Paolo continue their journey as they drive through the beautiful countryside of The Val d’Orcia and find the perfect spot for a picnic. In this eighth episode of the Coffee Break Italian Travel Diaries, we’ll learn some interesting new vocabulary as well as the difference between the verbs godersi and divertirsi. Andiamo!
Travel Diaries will be published in one season of ten episodes weekly from 5th June. If you’d like to access lesson notes and a video version which features pauses after each sentence to allow you to practise your pronunciation, check out the full course on the Coffee Break Academy.
At Coffee Break Italian we provide content for beginners, intermediate and advanced learners, along with regular mini lessons on social media. Visit coffeebreakitalian.com for all the information you need to build your confidence in Italian, whatever your level.
CBG To Go 2.08 | Was ist ein typisch deutsches Gericht für dich? – What is a typical German dish for you?
In this episode of Coffee Break German To Go, Julia asks the question Was ist ein typisch deutsches Gericht für dich? (informal) or Was ist ein typisch deutsches Gericht für Sie? (formal). You can use the answers of our interviewees to help you answer this question in German.
In the first part of the video, watch the interviews without subtitles and try to understand. In the second part of the video, we’ve provided subtitles in German at the top of the screen. You can choose to turn on subtitles in English using the Subtitles/CC button.
In our second series, Julia is in the city of Berlin, and in each episode she’ll ask passers-by one question. Of course, that one question will result in many answers, and it’s through these answers that you can practise your German and build your vocabulary.
If you’d prefer not to wait for all 10 lessons of Season 2 to be published, you can access downloadable versions of the videos along with audio versions and lesson notes / transcripts in the Coffee Break Academy.
Coffee Break German To Go is based on the popular podcast series and online course Coffee Break German. For access to the free podcasts, please click here.
To purchase our full online courses on the Coffee Break Academy, click here.
Destination : montagnes – Coffee Break French Travel Diaries Episode 8
Le voyage continue ! In this week’s episode, Lara and Noah are heading to the outskirts of Chambéry as they are en route to Albertville, home of the 1992 Winter Olympics. Find out what they get up to and learn when to use the phrase il s’agit de in Episode 8 of the Coffee Break French Travel Diaries. C’est parti !
The Travel Diaries will be published in one season of ten episodes on a weekly basis. If you’d like to access lesson notes and a video version which features pauses after each sentence to allow you to practise your pronunciation, check out the full course on the Coffee Break Academy.
At Coffee Break French we provide content for beginners, intermediate and advanced learners, along with regular mini lessons on social media. Visit coffeebreakfrench.com for all the information you need to build your confidence in French, whatever your level.
CBS To Go 2.08 | Si tuvieras que recomendar un plato típico de tu país, ¿cuál sería? – If you had to recommend a typical dish from your country, which would it be?
In this episode of Coffee Break Spanish To Go, Marina asks the question, si tuvieras que recomendar un plato típico de tu país, ¿cuál sería? (informal) or si tuviera que recomendar un plato típico de su país, ¿cuál sería? (formal). You can use the answers of our interviewees to help you answer this question in Spanish.
In the second part of the video, we’ve provided subtitles in Spanish at the top of the screen. You can choose to turn on subtitles in English using the Subtitles/CC button.
In this second series of Coffee Break Spanish To Go, Marina is in the city of Salamanca in Spain, and in each episode she’ll ask passers-by one question. Of course, that one question will result in many answers, and it’s through these answers that you can practise your Spanish and build your vocabulary.
Coffee Break Spanish To Go will be published every two weeks here on YouTube, and each Season will be filmed in a different part of the Spanish-speaking world.
If you’d prefer not to wait for all 10 lessons of Season 2 to be published, you can access downloadable versions of the videos along with audio versions and lesson notes / transcripts in the Coffee Break Academy.
Coffee Break Spanish To Go is based on the popular podcast series and online course Coffee Break Spanish. For access to the free podcasts, please click here.
To purchase our full online courses on the Coffee Break Academy, click here.
A Coffee Break Conversation with Ben Curtis from Notes in Spanish
We’re back with another episode of Coffee Break Conversations, a series in which we talk about life, learning and languages. Last week, we heard the story of Yevgeni, a Coffee Break Spanish learner and, this week, we’re continuing our Spanish theme as we’re speaking to Ben Curtis from the Notes in Spanish podcast. We discuss the importance of making mistakes when learning a language and how a little language can go a long way!
For more information about Notes in Spanish, click here.
Incidenti di percorso… a Saturnia – Coffee Break Italian Travel Diaries Episode 7
It’s time for the next stop on our Italian adventure! Giulia and Paolo enjoy a trip to the famous spa in Saturina when all of a sudden things take a turn and they end up in hospital. Tune in to Episode 7 to find out what happens and don’t forget to listen out for the subjunctive in the text!
Travel Diaries will be published in one season of ten episodes weekly from 5th June. If you’d like to access lesson notes and a video version which features pauses after each sentence to allow you to practise your pronunciation, check out the full course on the Coffee Break Academy.
At Coffee Break Italian we provide content for beginners, intermediate and advanced learners, along with regular mini lessons on social media. Visit coffeebreakitalian.com for all the information you need to build your confidence in Italian, whatever your level.
CBG To Go 2.07 | Denkst du, dass es wichtig ist, Fremdsprachen zu lernen? – Do you think that it’s important to learn foreign languages?
In this episode of Coffee Break German To Go, Julia asks the question Denkst du, dass es wichtig ist, Fremdsprachen zu lernen? (informal) or Denken Sie, dass es wichtig ist, Fremdsprachen zu lernen? (formal). You can use the answers of our interviewees to help you answer this question in German.
In the first part of the video, watch the interviews without subtitles and try to understand. In the second part of the video, we’ve provided subtitles in German at the top of the screen. You can choose to turn on subtitles in English using the Subtitles/CC button.
In our second series, Julia is in the city of Berlin, and in each episode she’ll ask passers-by one question. Of course, that one question will result in many answers, and it’s through these answers that you can practise your German and build your vocabulary.
If you’d prefer not to wait for all 10 lessons of Season 2 to be published, you can access downloadable versions of the videos along with audio versions and lesson notes / transcripts in the Coffee Break Academy.
Coffee Break German To Go is based on the popular podcast series and online course Coffee Break German. For access to the free podcasts, please click here.
To purchase our full online courses on the Coffee Break Academy, click here.
En route pour Chambéry – Coffee Break French Travel Diaries Episode 7
We’re back for another episode of the Coffee Break French Travel Diaries! In this week’s travel diary, Lara describes their time in Valence before making the journey to Chambéry where they discover what the Alpine town has to offer. Do you know the difference between nager and faire de la natation? Listen to the episode to find out!
The Travel Diaries will be published in one season of ten episodes on a weekly basis. If you’d like to access lesson notes and a video version which features pauses after each sentence to allow you to practise your pronunciation, check out the full course on the Coffee Break Academy.
At Coffee Break French we provide content for beginners, intermediate and advanced learners, along with regular mini lessons on social media. Visit coffeebreakfrench.com for all the information you need to build your confidence in French, whatever your level.
CBS To Go 2.07 | ¿Crees que es importante aprender idiomas? – Do you think it is important to learn languages?
In this episode of Coffee Break Spanish To Go, Marina asks the question, ¿Crees que es importante aprender idiomas? (informal) or ¿Cree usted que es importante aprender idiomas? (formal). You can use the answers of our interviewees to help you answer this question in Spanish.
In the second part of the video, we’ve provided subtitles in Spanish at the top of the screen. You can choose to turn on subtitles in English using the Subtitles/CC button.
In this second series of Coffee Break Spanish To Go, Marina is in the city of Salamanca in Spain, and in each episode she’ll ask passers-by one question. Of course, that one question will result in many answers, and it’s through these answers that you can practise your Spanish and build your vocabulary.
Coffee Break Spanish To Go will be published every two weeks here on YouTube, and each Season will be filmed in a different part of the Spanish-speaking world.
If you’d prefer not to wait for all 10 lessons of Season 2 to be published, you can access downloadable versions of the videos along with audio versions and lesson notes / transcripts in the Coffee Break Academy.
Coffee Break Spanish To Go is based on the popular podcast series and online course Coffee Break Spanish. For access to the free podcasts, please click here.
To purchase our full online courses on the Coffee Break Academy, click here.
Meet the team: Catriona
I’m Catriona and I’m the Co-Director at Radio Lingua. I studied French and German and then Law at Glasgow University, where I met Mark. After graduating there, I
went on to study Teacher Training for secondary school and taught for 5 years in Ayrshire and Glasgow. I miss pupils and some parts of life in a school, but I love the flexibility and challenges that this job offers me now, not to mention how well it fits in with family life. I’ve been back to teach a couple of times in schools and it’s good to keep up-to-date with what’s happening, especially when our own children are at that stage in life, but it’s also good being able to communicate a love of languages and learning with all the Coffee Break learners too, just in a different way. I work between our home and the office in Glasgow.
What is your role in Coffee Break?
On a daily basis, I deal with customer queries and enjoy welcoming new learners to the worldwide Coffee Break community. I liaise with all of the Coffee Break Team, in Scotland and overseas, whether working remotely, or in our office in Glasgow. Together with Mark and the Coffee Break Team, I help create policies relating to the business, discuss how the company might expand and deal with issues of providing great customer service, help create new courses and am involved in writing lesson notes. I should maybe say at this point that Mark is my husband – 22 years now! I am also part of the CBG Team and enjoy playing a part in creating something that I know will be used by learners. Together with Kristina, our Operations Manager, we deal with HR matters in the Coffee Break Team and are involved in the continuing professional and personal development of Team members. I really enjoy working with all our learners and our Team here.
What experience have you had speaking and learning other languages?
I think I first got into languages when two German boys came to our school and I had just started to study German. Steffen and Curt made it all seem a bit more real and we stayed in touch for years after they left and we visited them in Germany and Switzerland. Later on, I studied French and German at Glasgow University and became a secondary teacher of Modern Languages in Ayrshire and Glasgow. During my time at Uni, I spent a very happy year living in Austria, which also fuelled a love of travel. Holidays with my family now are a great way to keep motivated in my ongoing learning of Spanish and any other languages of places we visit.
What are your favourite memories of working with RLN?
Some favourite memories include when Mark first started Radio Lingua. It was a sort of experiment to see how many people he could teach and share his love of languages with, using the then new technology that was pod-casting. I love that Coffee Break Languages has grown to a small, but highly effective team, who communicate well with a global reach, and feel we know many of our learners in the Coffee Break community well, though we don’t meet them in person. Obviously, social events with the CB Team are great fun, but also taking part in the some of the Trade events where we do get to meet learners, particularly (for me) teachers and pupils who love to tell us how they use our resources in the classroom.
Where would your ideal coffee break be, and with whom?
My ideal Coffee Break would possibly be in Mallorca and, if Mark was busy, then Hugh Jackman could study Spanish with me. I understand that Colin Firth is quite fluent in Italian so I would also enjoy a coffee break with him on a Greek island with the cast and musicians of Mamma Mia. Really, with Mark and our children wherever we are on holiday, relaxing, in the sun, playing crazy golf, reading, just being together and switching off for a wee while.
What’s your best language-learning tip?
For me, taking 5 minutes at the end of the day to write down new vocabulary I’ve across in the language I’m learning. If you haven’t encountered any new words that day in the language you’re learning, write down 5 words in English that you want to know how to say in the language. Also, never worry about making mistakes. That’s how we learn.
Quick-fire round
- Favourite language: at the moment, Spanish
- Favourite word/phrase in the language – mariposa (I like another word too because of the way it sounds, but it is not printable!)/ unternehmungslustig
- Favourite film: La vita è bella
- TV show: Sé quién eres / The Big Bang Theory
- Book: En Man som heter Ove
- Favourite destination – Mallorca for sun and relaxation / Iceland for adventures / Italy for pretty countryside / Spain for food and the markets
Do you have a message for the Coffee Break Community?
Learning a new language is much easier than say, sticking to a diet. Though I’m sure the two combined could bring huge feelings of success! It’s never too late to start and it can lead to great benefits when travelling, global friendships, as well as all the other obvious plus points. Find a way that works for you – we’re all different – and then stick to it. Once you’ve learned one language, tackling another is often easier.
A Coffee Break Conversation with Spanish learner Yevgeni
In this week’s episode of Coffee Break Conversations we’re speaking to Coffee Spanish learner, Yevgeni, from the Republic of Tatarstan in Russia. You’ll hear how Yevgeni’s language learning has become an integrated part of his daily routine, and you may even get the chance to dabble in some Russian and Tatar!
For more information about the resources mentioned in the episode, click on the following links – Ominglot: omniglot.com and the WikiTongues Project: wikitongues.org.
Chapitre 4 – James se sentit pris de panique
It’s time for the next instalment of our crime novel, La Vérité éclate toujours, for advanced learners of French. Following a stressful interrogation from the Police, James returns to his hotel in turmoil, wondering whether to start investigating what has happened to Max. Is his friend not the person he thought he was? What might he found out about Max? He has so many questions but none of the answers – il se sentit pris de panique ! In Chapter 4, we meet some more verbs in the past historic and we hear a form of the phrase: tirer quelque chose.
Welcome to our new podcast for advanced French learners. In each episode of the story, published fortnightly, we’ll be following a chapter of La Vérité éclate toujours, specially written to help you build your knowledge of French and extend your range of expression. In the episodes, teacher Mark and narrator Pierre-Benoît will discuss the story, helping you to improve your listening skills.
There’s also an online course version of La Vérité éclate toujours which provides access to a range of additional materials including the text of each chapter, annotated notes, language study podcasts, vocabulary lists, video versions of each episode and our atelier linguistique which helps you to take the language you’ve covered in each chapter further. This course is available on the Coffee Break Academy.
If you find this podcast too challenging, why not check out our other podcasts for beginners and intermediate learners.
CBSw 1.11 | En kaffe, tack
We’re back with another lesson of Coffee Break Swedish, where you can take your first steps in learning the language. Now that we know the basics of Swedish, it’s time to learn how to order drinks and crucially, a coffee, so that you can enjoy a Swedish Coffee Break. We’ll learn how to order en kaffe (a coffee) and en kannelbulle (a cinnamon bun) so you’ll be ready for a Swedish fika in no time!
