We’re taking a virtual trip to Latin America as we’re visiting the Amazon jungle in this episode of the Coffee Break Spanish Magazine! Join Mark and Anabel and learn some interesting facts about this amazing place while listening out for the use of the negative imperative; adjectives like indígena and frondoso; and verbs such as convertirse and suponer. As always, Marina joins Mark at the end of the episode and this time, they’re discussing the phrase: si el río suena, agua lleva.
Month: May 2022
CBF Mag 2.04 | Vingt-quatre heures dans la province du Québec
This week, we’re taking a virtual trip to the French-speaking area of Canada: Québec! Throughout the lesson we share some of the top attractions in this beautiful province of Canada. Along the way, we hear examples of direct object pronouns, the pronoun y and examples of the future tense of the verbs avoir and être. Listen out for some useful expressions such as: profiter de qqch, s’aventurer quelque part, and avoir l’impression.
CBG Mag 2.03 | Die Deutsche Bundesliga
We’re back with another episode of the Coffee Break German Magazine! We’re talking football this week, specifically the highest professional German football league. As we learn how the league works, we focus on some interesting language points including adjective declination and superlatives before rounding off the episode with the following proverb: Da liegt der Hund begraben.
CBI Mag 2.03 | La Festa del Primo Maggio
Welcome to another episode of the Coffee Break Italian Magazine! In this episode Mark and Francesca discuss how the 1st of May, also known as ‘Labour Day’ or ‘May Day’, is celebrated in Italy. After listening to a text about this celebration we take a closer look at the language covered, including the use of nessuno (no one) without a double negative and the use of infatti (in fact, indeed). We round off the episode by explaining the following expression: Forza e coraggio, che dopo aprile viene maggio!
Throughout this episode Mark and Francesca mention two videos available on our YouTube channel. These can be accessed by clicking here and here.
CBG 3.14 | Temporal connectors | Solange die Kinder noch gern zelten…
In this episode of Coffee Break German, Mark and Andrea focus on connectors which connect words, word groups or clauses. We hear many examples of connectors linking clauses before hearing a dialogue between characters Ben and Marianne in a coffee shop. Listen carefully for some useful vocabulary throughout this episode, including words and phrases such as: sich dazusetzen, umziehen and ohnehin.
CBE 3.10 | Extra | A superlative conversation
In this final extra episode of Coffee Break English Season 3, we listen to a conversation between Josie and Mark containing lots of superlative adjectives.
CBI 3.14 | Introduction to the conditional | Dottore, non mi sento bene!
Welcome to another episode of Coffee Break Italian Season 3! This time we’re introducing a new type of verb: the conditional mood. Join Mark and Francesca as they explain how and when to use the conditional in order to be more polite; to give advice; and to say that something would happen or occur if circumstances were different. We then hear the conditional in context during a conversation between two characters at a doctor’s appointment. Along the way, we hear some useful expressions including fare gli straordinari and non se ne parla nemmeno!.
CBS Mag 4.03 | Días de fiesta en Bilbao
Our Coffee Break Spanish Magazine hosts, Mark and Anabel, are back for another episode! This time we hear a text about a Basque celebration which takes place in Bilbao. Throughout the text, we come across some interesting language points, including the expression por todo lo alto; the verbs asomarse and quemar; and the structure of hay que. Marina joins Mark at the end of the episode to discuss the phrase: pasarlo bomba, pasarla chévere, ser la leche/la bomba.
CBE 3.10 | Uluru | Language focus: superlatives
We have reached the end of Coffee Break English Season 3! In this final episode of the series we hear from Matthew in Australia. He tells us all about Uluru, and we focus on superlative adjectives.
CBF Mag 2.03 | La petite robe noire
In this episode of the Coffee Break French Magazine, we hear a text about the very well known French fashion designer…that’s right it’s Coco Chanel! Our hosts, Mark and Pierre-Benoît discuss a range of fashion-related words and phrases as well as examples of the following grammar points: reflexive verbs in the perfect tense; the imperfect tense; and the gerund. To finish, Mark and Sophie explore a short text about Lily Rose Depp during which they discuss an interesting expression: c’est un peu spécial.
CBE 3.09 | Extra | Film recommendations
In the extra episode of Coffee break English, Mark and Josie talk about films they have watched recently.
CBG Mag 2.02 | Glacier-Express
Welcome back to the Coffee Break German Magazine! In this episode we hear a text about the most famous train route in the German-speaking region: the Glacier-Express! We learn about this 8-hour trip which runs between Zermatt and St. Moritz, offering breathtaking views along the way. We encounter many interesting pieces of vocabulary throughout the episode, including: glasklar, insgesamt and überqueren. Be sure to listen until the end of the episode so you don’t miss this week’s proverb!
CBI Mag 2.02 | Castelluccio di Norcia: la perla dell’Umbria
In this week’s episode of the Coffee Break Italian Magazine we’re heading to Castelluccio di Norcia, a village between the regions of Marche and Umbria in Central Italy. As we hear a text about this village, Mark and Francesca discuss the interesting language points along the way. We look at verbs requiring the addition of –isc-, superlative adjectives and then finish with our ciliegina sulla torta which is a saying including the word lenticchie.
CBE 3.09 | Hollywood | Language focus: Something, everything, nothing and anything
Welcome to another episode of Coffee Break English! This time, we hear from Kate in the USA who talks to us about Hollywood. We also focus on the words everything, ‘something’, ‘everything’, ‘nothing’, and ‘anything’.
CBG 3.13 | The future tense | Er wird dir schon zuhören
In this episode of Coffee Break German we’re focusing on the use of the future tense. We learn how to express plans, promises and assumptions in the future. That’s not all, we also introduce adverbs which can be used to suggest that we are making an assumption. We then hear what we’ve learned in context during a dialogue. Some useful vocabulary to listen out for includes: beunruhigt, anständig and Ausbildung.
CBE 3.08 | Extra | What did you do last weekend?
In the extra episode of Coffee Break English, we listen to a conversation between Josie and Mark about what they did last weekend. Pay attention to the irregular past tenses as you listen!
CBI 3.13 | Impersonal si | Viva la pausa caffè!
In this episode of Coffee Break Italian, Mark and Francesca introduce a new grammar point: the very useful si impersonale or “impersonal si”. We learn how the word si can be used as a generic subject in order to avoid specific reference to a person or group of people. We also learn how to form this impersonal structure with different tenses, provided the verb is in the third person singular form. We then hear this grammar point during a conversation between Elena, a teacher of English, and her friends Alberto and Cinzia. Listen out for some useful phrases such as: dare una mano, fare due passi and roba da matti!
CBS Mag 4.02 | Ritmos latinos: la bachata
Welcome to another episode of the Coffee Break Spanish Magazine! This time Mark and Anabel go through a text about bachata, a popular type of Latin music, and discuss its origin and influences. Along the way, they provide explanations about a range of grammar and vocabulary points including: how to use se trata de and trata de to mean ‘it’s about’; using the prefix des- in words like desamor and deshacer; and using the passive se. To finish, Marina joins Mark to discuss our cherry on top: dar el do de pecho.
CBE 3.08 | David Attenborough | Language focus: irregular past tenses
Welcome back to another episode of Coffee Break English! This time, we hear from Susan in England who talks to us about a very famous British person – David Attenborough. Throughout the episode we also focus on irregular past tense verbs.
