Servus! My name is Thomas and I am a German Curriculum Developer at Coffee Break Languages. My role is mainly to create and develop content for the different German courses, but I also show up in videos from time to time.

What is your role in Coffee Break?

I mostly create and record content for the different German learning formats, whether that is Coffee Break German, the Club or shorts for social media. I really enjoy the variety this role brings in terms of writing resources and being able to focus on different aspects of the language. This role also includes the audio and video recording in the studio, which requires very different skills, but I enjoy just as much. Especially because it involves working together with a lot of different members of the Coffee Break Languages Team, either in front or behind the microphone.

What experience have you had speaking and learning other languages?

My first experience with learning languages was at school. I learned English for 9 years and Latin for 3. To be honest, I really didn’t enjoy languages in school and I was never particularly good at them either. My real interest for English started when I was 16 while watching films in English, translating song lyrics and most of all, traveling through Europe. I kept improving my English during my years at university and I also attended a Spanish course before spending a year in Seville as an exchange student. There, I met my Scottish wife and moved to Scotland a few years later which took my understanding of English, and indeed the local accents, to the next level. Since then, I have started a Gaelic course, tried to improve my Spanish skills and started raising a bilingual son.

What are your favourite memories of working with Coffee Break?

When I first worked with Mark, we recorded in a small studio behind his living room and there was a very small team. I really liked his approach to learning and teaching languages and was amazed at the business he managed to build. I loved coming up with the first season of Coffee Break German together and laugh fondly at the awkwardness of my first recordings and listening back to them.

Where would your ideal coffee break be and with whom?

It would definitely be back in Seville in Spain, at the small café in front of the university. Sun in the sky, a café con hielo and chatting with the friends I made during my exchange year, finding out what everybody has been up to over the last 10 years.

What’s your best language learning tip?

My first real motivation for learning languages came from doing things I enjoyed anyway, but in a foreign language. For me that meant starting to read fantasy books and watching films in English, or changing the language of my computer games to English. I think practising the language through something that you enjoy not only gives you a lot of exposure, increases understanding and builds your vocabulary, but also shows you the relevance and lets you use it in a practical way. Depending on your level you could even start with simplified language, for example from children’s books or switching on the subtitles for a film. However, over time your hobby or interest will be extended by a completely new culture, whether that is Spanish DIY videos, Italian poetry, Polish fantasy authors or German folk music!

The other tip, however not always possible, would be to move to a country where the language is spoken for a period of time.

Quick-fire round

• Favourite language:  Overall German, even though it’s my own language. I love how complex it is and that I still learn new grammar rules after 34 years. I also love the different dialects, especially in parts of Austria, and generally find it to be a beautiful language to listen to, even if others may think it sounds a bit harsh.
• Favourite word/phrase: zach which is an Austrian colloquial word that just sounds exactly like what it describes, being anything from “tough, chewy, difficult, stubborn” but also “hardy, strong, endurant”.
• Favourite film:  I really liked the last “Dune” film but as an all time favourite, it would probably be “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy.
• Favourite TV show: Currently “The Witcher”
• Favourite destination: Mountains, all kinds of them. I love the Alps, the Scottish Highlands, the Sierra Nevada and its white villages and basically every mountain range I have been to in the world.
• Favourite Bands: Alt-J, Kettcar

Do you have a message for the Coffee Break community?

Firstly, a massive Danke to the whole community. It is amazing to see how your support, contributions and loyalty helped Coffee Break Languages to develop, add new languages and courses and grow its team within the last 10 years. I am incredibly excited to be part of it again and create new and exciting German content for all our learners.