Coffee Break Languages
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.
CBF Mag 2.02 | L’apéro, c’est sacré !
Join Mark and Pierre-Benoît for Episode 2 of our Coffee Break French Magazine Season 2! After introducing the episode, we hear about the French apéritif tradition and analyse the language featured throughout this text. Some interesting expressions to listen out for include: quel(le) que soit (whatever), être le bienvenu (to be welcome) and faire plaisir (to be appreciated). Mark and Sophie round off the episode with a discussion about a recipe for tapenade.
CBG Mag 2.01 | Der Deutsche Schäferhund
Welcome to a brand new series of the Coffee Break German Magazine! In this first episode of Season 2, our hosts, Mark and Andrea discuss The German Shepherd Dog. We learn about the origins of this type of dog and how German Shepherds can act as police dogs, rescue dogs, and therapy dogs while also also being friendly family dogs. Listen out for passive sentences in the present and past tense as well as some German proverbs at the end of the lesson.
CBE 3.07 Extra | Snorkelling and scuba diving
In this extra episode of Coffee Break English, Mark and Josie talk about their experiences snorkelling and scuba diving.
CBI Mag 2.01 | Italo Svevo: uno scrittore dalla doppia identità
Welcome to Season 2 of the Coffee Break Italian Magazine! Join our hosts Mark, Francesca and Silvia as they explore a range of cultural topics and grammar points to help you improve your language skills. In this episode we’re talking about the famous 20th century Italian writer, Italo Svevo. We explore the language used in the text, including the use of the adjective grande before and after nouns; adjectives ending in -issimo/a (absolute superlative); as well as some interesting vocabulary like nome d’arte and doppia identità.
CBE 3.07 | Ningaloo Reef | Language focus: ‘i’ and ‘ee’ pronunciation
In this episode, we hear from Matthew in Australia. He tells us about an interesting place in Australia, and we focus on how to pronounce the sounds i and ee.
CBG 3.12 | Adjectival endings in the genitive | Früchte des italienischen Sommers
We’re back with another episode of Coffee Break German! This time, Mark and Andrea review adjectival endings before introducing adjectival endings in the genitive. We hear this new grammar point in context during a conversation between Tanja and Katharina who are going clothes shopping.
CBE 3.06 Extra | Useful inventions
In this extra episode of Coffee Break English, we listen to a conversation between Josie and Mark about useful inventions.
CBI 3.12 | Formal and irregular imperative | Alla scoperta della città
We’re back with another episode of Coffee Break Italian! This time, Mark and Francesca are looking at the formal imperative and its negative and irregular form. We see this grammar point in context with a dialogue between a Scottish tourist and a local who provides directions to the Museum of Modern Art. Listen out for some useful vocabulary in this episode including the words: cartina, proseguire and semaforo.
CBS Mag 4.01 | Pedro Almodóvar
Welcome to Season 4 of the Coffee Break Spanish Magazine! We’re joining our hosts, Mark, Anabel, Marina and Sebastián, as they present cultural topics and grammar study in an enjoyable way, allowing you to build your vocabulary and increase your range of expression. In this first episode of the series, Mark and Anabel discuss a text about the life and work of the famous Spanish film director, Pedro Almodóvar, and explain the interesting grammar and vocabulary points along the way. Mark and Marina round off the episode with a discussion about our cherry on top: no tener pelos en la lengua and hablar a calzón quitado.
CBE 3.06 | The invention of the telephone | Language focus: phrasal verbs with ‘up’
In this episode of Coffee Break English, Monica in Scotland tells us about a famous Scottish inventor. We also focus on phrasal verbs with the word ‘up’.
