Welcome back to another episode of Coffee Break Gaelic. In this lesson you’ll learn some new vocabulary to talk about your family. We’ll also cover the numbers from zero to ten and the days of the week.
Month: May 2023
Capítulo 11 – ¿Y ahora qué?
In Chapter 10, Pilar called Marta following a visit from an estate agent arranged by Carlos some time ago. Before Marta had the chance to uncover any information about her father, Pilar hung up the phone on her. Listen to this week’s episode as Marta heads to back to her childhood home to find out what Carlos is up to. Take note of the phrases: sacar de quicio and hecho/a y derecho/a as well as the verbs esfumarse and aferrarse.
CBSw Travel Diaries 1.03 | Krabbfiske och bastubad på Klädesholmen
In this lesson, the family leaves Marstrand to travel to nearby island Klädesholmen. We get to hear stories about Mattias’s childhood as he takes us up and down the streets lined by white wooden houses on this rocky island full of rose bushes, sunshine, and sailboats. We learn some new vocabulary and revise verb tenses along the way!
CBI 3.36 | Il tesoro di Montespelonca | D’ora in poi me la caverò da solo!
Welcome back to another episode of Coffee Break Italian Season 3 and a further instalment of our story series “Il tesoro di Montespelonca”! In this chapter Alessandro and his friends finally make it to Le Torrette but are disappointed to find only grass and thorn bushes when they arrive. The three friends disagree on their next steps and Alessandro decides to continue to investigate on his own. Listen out for our Cosina: meglio soli che male accompagnati!
CBG 3.36 | Ein Zwilling studiert selten allein | Ein Wechselbad der Gefühle
We’re back with a new episode of Coffee Break German Season 3 and another instalment of our story series “Ein Zwilling studiert selten allein”! In this part of the story we find out about Marian’s email from UCLA and how family and friends react to the news. In this episode, among other things, you will find a wide range of tenses being used from pluperfect, perfect, imperfect, present and future all in just a few sentences. Furthermore you can find some new vocabulary describing the emotions the twins are feeling such as schlechtes Gewissen, ablenken and verlockend.
CBP 1.06 | Numbers 1–10 – How to count from 1–10 in Portuguese
Join Rafael and Ava in the latest episode of Coffee Break Portuguese, in which we’re learning how to count from 1–10, how to ask for and give telephone numbers, and how to give more information about your family using numbers. We’ll also be joined by Catarina for more listening practice and some learning about Portuguese names in today’s Cafezinho com Catarina. Estão prontos? Vamos lá!
CBGa 1.05 | Introducing your family — Words for family members in Gaelic
Susanna and Mark are back for another episode of Coffee Break Gaelic. In this lesson, you’ll learn how to introduce different members of your family and how to use emphatic pronouns such as esan and ise. You’ll also hear about the meaning of some Gaelic surnames from our Cultural Correspondent Rae.
Meet the team: Erin
Hi, I’m Erin and I am the Social Media Coordinator here at Coffee Break Languages. I first worked with Coffee Break as an intern in 2017 when I was involved in the development of Coffee Break Chinese Season 1. After graduating from the University of Glasgow with a degree in Linguistics and Spanish, I joined the team once again and have now worked full time with Coffee Break for over a year. I spent many of my student years sharing my language-learning journey on social media, so it feels like a full circle moment to continue sharing my passion for languages in this way with our wonderful learners!
What is your role in Coffee Break?
I plan, produce, film, edit and schedule content across all of our social media platforms. I also work on Coffee Break Chinese, writing and developing new course materials and interacting with our community of Chinese learners. Furthermore, I support our Spanish learning community by answering questions on the Coffee Break Spanish Masterclass.
What experience have you had speaking and learning other languages?
I learned Spanish in high school and I was lucky enough to take part in a Spanish exchange programme with a Spanish girl from Villa Real called María. I loved the thrill of navigating the language barrier in order to communicate with María and I gained a deep satisfaction from learning a phrase and using it practically to find out more about her. For me, as soon as language became about communication and getting to know a person or a part of the world better, it became the most rewarding activity.
I began to develop a deep curiosity for other languages and cultures and my interest in Mandarin was ignited at the Chinese supermarket in Glasgow of all places! I remember going there several times with my parents and feeling a sense of awe at seeing all the packaging for mundane things like rice, juice and bread covered in these beautiful Chinese characters. I then asked for some Chinese lessons for my birthday and took a couple of beginner’s classes at age 16. My head teacher found out about my interest and helped me to apply for a two-week trip to China organised by the Confucius Institute for Scotland’s Schools. I then applied for a year-long scholarship in Tianjin, China, with the same organisation and I was delighted to be accepted. I moved to China at 18 years old and studied Chinese in a highly international environment surrounded by speakers of Russian, Korean, Japanese and Italian, to name but a few. At university I was fortunate to be able take courses in Russian and Portuguese, and study abroad in Huelva, Spain for one year. I hope to continue learning languages – working with so many talented polyglots is definitely a great motivator!
What are your favourite memories of working with Coffee Break?
Our office is based in a Scottish beach town called Ayr. During the summer we sometimes have “beach meetings” and walk along to make the most of the sun (which is rare in Scotland!) and the lovely location, whilst being productive at the same time. On one occasion we went to the local ice cream shop and walked along in the sun with our ice cream cones. That was certainly a great day at work!
Where would your ideal coffee break be and with whom?
My ideal coffee break would be around a fire on a beach (in Ireland, preferably) with my whole extended family after a BBQ, just after the sun has gone down and the beach is getting cold – that’s when the hot drinks taste best. Of course, marshmallows and a sing-song would also have to be involved!
What’s your best language learning tip?
Don’t take yourself too seriously. As a non-native speaker, you are never going to be mistake-free, no matter how “fluent” you are. The best language learners make mistakes constantly because they know that is the only way to learn. I would advise you to get really, really comfortable with making mistakes and sometimes, let’s face it, embarrassing yourself! The end goal of language learning is communication, not perfect fluency, so keep that in mind when you are using your language skills for the first time. One of my favourite quotes is by Amy Chua in Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, where she says: “Do you know what a foreign accent is? It’s a sign of bravery.” Your willingness to put yourself out there is very brave, so don’t give yourself a hard time for mistakes, just keeping using the language and improvements will come with practice.
Quickfire round
- Favourite language: Mandarin. For me it is the process of language learning that I find fun. The Chinese language continues to fascinate me and I feel like I will never stop learning.
- Favourite word/phrase: I love any phrase or word in Chinese where I get to use the 儿 ér pronunciation from Beijing. For example, 快点儿 kuài diǎn’er (faster). Not only do I enjoy how it sounds, but I learned Chinese in Tianjin, in the north of China, close to Beijing, so this accent reminds me of the people I met there.
- Favourite film: Todo sobre mi madre (All about my mother)
- Favourite destination: Tuscany
Do you have a message for the Coffee Break Community?
Thank you for being such a supportive, loyal community. I love interacting with you all online, and one of the best parts of my job is responding to lovely feedback and questions from enthusiastic learners. Keep being you!
CBSw Travel Diaries 1.02 | En dag på Marstrandsön
The adventures of the family continue! In this episode we follow them as they take the ferry over to the island of Marstrandsön – an island full of sunshine, history, old fortresses, ghosts, and seagulls. This lesson builds on a lot of the grammar we are already familiar with and we encounter verbs in new tenses. We also see some new and useful constructions, and learn more about some of Sweden’s most infamous criminals.
CBI 3.35 | Il tesoro di Montespelonca | Chiediamo al professor Doppi!
We’re back with another episode of Coffee Break Italian Season 3 and our fifth instalment of “Il tesoro di Montespelonca“! In this part of the story Alessandro and his friends visit the village’s local historian, Professor Doppi, to find out more about the legend of the cave. He says that, according to some old documents, there could be an actual cave below the mountain but it has never been explored as the passage seems to be blocked. He also gives them a big book containing a chapter on ‘Le Torrette’, two ancient towers on the mountain near the village. Apparently, these towers indicated the way towards a hidden path to the cave used by bandits, but the path to this day has not been found…
Meet the team: Maurizio
What is your role in Coffee Break?
I am an Italian Content Developer and a Publishing Associate. I work on episodes of Coffee Break Italian, write social media posts, support in the writing and editing of notes on the Academy and film videos for Coffee Break TV. I also keep an eye on the book market and I make sure that we have everything we need to publish books, like our 50 Coffee Breaks series. There’s a lot of researching involved in my job, which makes it very exciting!
What experience have you had speaking and learning other languages?
I’ve been learning multiple languages since I was in primary school. I started with English and Spanish, then I moved to French when I started my undergraduate course at university. During my postgraduate, I had the opportunity to spend some time in Portugal and learn some Portuguese.
I speak Italian and English on a daily basis and I try to keep up with my French and Spanish by talking to my colleagues, listening to music or watching TV shows and films in the two languages. I would like to learn German in the future and I have already started listening to Coffee Break German Season 1.
What are your favourite memories of working with Coffee Break Languages?
When I was working as an intern a few years ago, Catriona surprised me with a delicious chocolate cake for my birthday. I didn’t tell anyone that it was my birthday that day and when I got into work I found a birthday cake in front of me! It was such a nice surprise and the cake was so yummy. I appreciate the fact that we take the time to celebrate each other here at Coffee Break Languages.
Where would your ideal coffee break be, and with whom?
There’s a little café on top of a mountain, near a small village called Pintura di Bolognola, in Marche, Italy. From there you can see the sea beyond the valleys of my region. My ideal coffee break would be there with my grandmother Lina.
What’s your best language-learning tip?
Make your language-learning a daily habit! Try to expose yourself to the language you’re learning on a daily basis. You can do this by listening to a song, watching a video on YouTube, or reading a news story. It’s better to practise your new language 5 minutes every day rather than 2 hours once a week. If you practice your language every day, you will make small and constant progress, and after a while you will see how far you’ve come with your learning.
Quick-fire round
- Favourite language: Italian (of course!), but I love all romance languages.
- Favourite word/phrase in the language: Daje! (Come on!)
- Favourite film: Les amours imaginaires by Xavier Dolan
- TV show: Great British Bake Off
- Book: Un amore by Dino Buzzati
- Favourite destination: Marche when I feel homesick and Portugal and Spain for a fun holiday
Do you have a message for the Coffee Break Community?
Learning a language is fun but it’s also hard work. Be kind to yourself and celebrate your successes. Don’t be discouraged when you make a mistake. Instead, use it to improve and to move forward. Just keep going and have fun on your language learning journey!
CBG 3.35 | Ein Zwilling studiert selten allein | Emails aus Kalifornien
We’re back with a new episode of Coffee Break German Season 3 and another instalment of “Ein Zwilling studiert selten allein”! In this segment of the story Lucie and Marian are at home, enjoying the sun and the peace after the exciting celebration that was the prom. But suddenly, Lucie receives a long awaited e-mail! In this episode, among other things you will find a wide range of vocabulary used to describe the emotions and emotional responses of people. This is also a great opportunity to see the difference between “werden” and “bekommen” in German.
CBP 1.05 | Introducing your family – Words for family members in Portuguese
We’ve reached episode 5 of Coffee Break Portuguese! In this lesson Rafael and Ava are covering another useful topic for when you’re travelling in the Portuguese-speaking world or meeting someone who speaks Portuguese – how to introduce your family. We’ll be learning some of the words for different family members, as well as how to say what they are called.
CBGa 1.04 | Where you live — How to talk about where you live in Gaelic
Join teacher Susanna and learner Mark in the fourth lesson of Coffee Break Gaelic. In this episode, we’ll cover city names and Gaelic pronouns, and you’ll be able to talk about where you live. We’ll also hear from our Cultural Correspondent Rae who’ll tell us more about the Gaelic language and where it is spoken.
Meet the team: Concha
¡Hola! My name is Concha and I am part of the Coffee Break Spanish team. I have worked as a Spanish teacher for almost eight years (time flies!) and I am very happy to be part of the Coffee Break Spanish team.
What is your role in Coffee Break?
My role involves a wide variety of tasks. You will see me in CBTV videos, giving feedback in the Spanish Masterclass and creating content for social media (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram).
What experience have you had speaking and learning other languages?
I am a language lover, so I have studied a little bit of many languages. I first started with English back in primary school, and I have to say, I wasn’t very good at it! In high school it was compulsory to do two years of French, and I loved it. I am currently an advanced learner of Coffee Break French. I have also learned some Italian, Modern Greek and Basque when I lived in San Sebastian for a couple of years. My goal is to be able to speak all the official languages in my country and my desire is to never ever stop studying languages.
What are your favourite memories of working with Coffee Break?
Every day at the office is good fun. Recording videos can sometimes be tricky and sharing that experience with my colleagues is what I enjoy the most. Last summer we had a summer get together with all the team and it was wonderful. We work very hard every day and Mark and Catriona rewarded us with a very nice day full of food, music, games and laughs.
Where would your ideal coffee break be and with whom?
Easy! By the beach, watching the sunrise. Preferably in Cádiz, in Los Caños de Meca, my favourite beach. The perfect companion would be my sister because we have the same kind of humour so laughs are guaranteed.
What’s your best language learning tip?
Be patient and consistent. I know… that’s what everyone says, but it’s true for me. Even if it’s doing a little bit each day or week, consistency is key. Patience is also an important aspect of the learning process, especially when you can’t remember the word or you keep forgetting about that grammar rule. Keep going!
Also, have fun and enjoy the process. Enjoy your achievements and but enjoy making mistakes as well.
Quickfire round
• Favourite language: French. It’s quite the challenge for a Spanish speaker. If I ever get to pronounce it right, I’ll be happy!
• Favourite word/phrase in Spanish: Ea, the most versatile word for an Andalusian like myself. It doesn’t mean anything in itself but, depending on the context, it can mean so many things…
• Favourite book: Tierra, a book by Eloy Moreno. It’s such a page turner. I remember I read it in two days.
• Singer: Jack Johnson. Listening to him feels like home to me.
• Favourite destination: So many… Out of all the places I have been I would choose Gijón, a small city in Asturias, in the North of Spain. Although I am from the South of Spain, I have always liked the rain, that’s why I moved to Glasgow. Scotland can be too cold sometimes, so the North of Spain in my sweet middle spot. As for a holiday destination I would choose The Canary Islands. Or any other island with warm tropical weather and amazing nature!
Do you have a message for the Coffee Break Community?
Never stop learning languages! It is a beautiful journey.
