We’re halfway through the Coffee Break German Magazine Season 3! In Episode 5 we listen to a text about the Habsburg dynasty and its legacy. We hear lots of new vocabulary and grammar points which Mark and Andrea explain along the way. Be sure to listen until the end to learn about a proverb which is the equivalent to c’est la vie in French.
Coffee Break Languages
CBI Mag 2.05 | Tempio del Valadier: un tempio scavato nella roccia
In this episode of the Coffee Break Italian Magazine we’re exploring a very special temple built inside a natural cave in the region of Marche. After hearing a text about this impressive piece or architecture, Mark and Francesca explain a variety of language points including: how to express nuances of colours; the present participle, and passive structures. We also encounter a range of new vocabulary relevant to this topic, such as Medioevo, grotta and roccia. To finish, we share an interesting phrase which can be used to express a state of shock.
CBG 3.16 | Temporal prepositions | Sie arbeitet seit zwei Jahren in München
We’re focusing on a brand new topic in this episode of Coffee Break German Season 3: temporal prepositions. Join Mark and Andrea as they discuss temporal prepositions, such as seit, ab, and von… bis, before hearing them in context during a dialogue in which Herr Kühne has a job interview with Frau Dr. Hofmann. Vocabulary to listen out for in this episode includes: Lebenslauf, Probezeit and absagen.
CBI 3.16 | Indefinite adjectives and pronouns | Scopriamo la Puglia con Nicola
Welcome back to another episode of Coffee Break Italian Season 3! The topic of this episode is indefinite adjectives and pronouns – words used to express indefinite quantities without any specific reference to quantities, people, things, or places. Throughout the lesson, Mark and Francesca focus on the most widely used indefinite adjectives and pronouns in Italian. We then hear a dialogue in which Nicola, a local tour guide, is meeting tourists who have signed up for his guided tour in Puglia. Listen out for useful words and phrases including: rompere il ghiaccio, diversi/e and qualsiasi before we round off the episode with an interesting phrase used to refer to a tour guide in Italian.
CBS Mag 4.05 | Torres humanas
Welcome back to the Coffee Break Spanish Magazine! In this episode, Mark and Anabel go through a text about human towers or castells in Catalan. We break down the range of words and phrases in the text, including: tanto… que…, tras and cualquier. Take note of the Catalan words featured this episode and be sure to listen until the end as Marina joins Mark to discuss the phrase: hacer piña.
CBF Mag 2.05 | L’ancêtre du cinéma français
In this episode of the Coffee Break French Magazine we’re heading to the cinema! After hearing a text about French cinema, Mark and Pierre-Benoît break down the language, focusing on some useful vocabulary for talking about films, such as: réalisateur, le septième art and trucages. Listen out for examples of the subjunctive, the gerund and the imperfect tense, as well as the following expressions: que ce soit and être la première à avoir fait qqch.
CBG Mag 2.04 | Hansestädte
Welcome to another episode of the Coffee Break German Magazine! This time, our hosts, Mark and Andrea, focus on a text about the Hanse (a trade/military network of cities between the 12th and 17th century) and the Hanseatic cities of Germany. We discuss the cities which were part of the Hanseatic league and how this is celebrated once a year with regional food, medieval costumes, historical guided city tours and more. As always, we pick up on the key grammar and vocabulary points from our text along the way. Words such as unvergleichlich, bekannt sein and Mittelalter are just some of the useful pieces of vocabulary to listen out for in this episode.
CBI Mag 2.04 | Samantha Cristoforetti: un’italiana alla Stazione Spaziale Internazionale
Explore the life and work of Samantha Cristoforetti, Italy’s first female astronaut, and learn grammar points.
We’re back with another episode of the Coffee Break Italian Magazine! This time, our text is all about the first female Italian astronaut, Samantha Cristoforetti! Join Mark and Francesca as they learn about her impressive life and work while discussing some interesting grammar points including: dopo + passive past infinitive; how the word ben is used before numbers; and the verb crescere in the past using both auxiliaries. Be sure to listen until the end so that you hear our Ciliegina sulla torta; an idiomatic expression which has something to do with Samantha Cristoforetti’s job.
CBG 3.15 | Relative pronouns in the genitive | Das Mädchen, dessen Haare bis zum Boden reichen
Welcome back to Coffee Break German Season 3! In this episode, we are reviewing relative clauses before looking at relative clauses in the genitive. We then see this grammar point in context during a conversation between Helene and Florian who are looking at old school photographs. Listen out for some school-related vocabulary such as: Schulzeit, Strafarbeit and Nachhilfe.
CBI 3.15 | Conditional perfect | Notizie dal telegiornale
Welcome back to Coffee Break Italian Season 3! In this episode we continue our journey through the conditional. Following on from the previous episode where we introduced this new mood and explained its functions; we are now focusing on the conditional perfect. We hear this grammar point in context during a conversation between husband and wife watching the news at dinner time. Take note of some useful vocabulary including: negozietto, telegiornale and vigili del fuoco. We also share a new idiomatic expression which combines the two topics featured in our dialogue: food and fire.
CBS Mag 4.04 | La selva amazónica
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.
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.
