Coffee Break Languages, Author at Coffee Break Languages

CBS Travel Diaries 2.10 | Santiago de Chile

March 4, 2025June 24, 2021 by Coffee Break Languages

We’ve reached the end of our Coffee Break Spanish Travel Diaries Season 2! Our last stop is the capital of Chile – Santiago – where there’s lots to see and do. We join Ainhoa, Luisa and Esteban as they round off their trip with a visit to some must-see attractions including Pablo Neruda’s house. After tasting local drinks of pisco and mote they agree this has been the trip of a lifetime! ¿Podrías estar más de acuerdo?

Our premium version of the course includes lesson notes with additional examples and explanations of the language in each lesson, and a pronunciation practice video to help you improve your speaking. Click here to access the course on the Coffee Break Academy.

CBE 1.10 | Let’s go surfing – Australia’s favourite sport and phrasal verbs

March 17, 2025June 22, 2021 by Coffee Break Languages

This week Matthew tells us about a popular sport in Australia – surfing! He talks about the people who surf and the surfing lifestyle, and we learn some common English phrasal verbs.

Chapitre 22 – C’est la seule façon de m’infiltrer dans le milieu

June 21, 2021 by Coffee Break Languages

It’s time for the latest instalment of our crime drama series for advanced French learners! In this dialogue chapter we hear the voices of James, Claire and Yvette as they discuss their plan of action to get closer to Max’s attacker or attackers. Expect to hear lots of colloquial expressions and vocabulary, such as the phrase il n’y a pas photo and the word fignoler.

CBG Travel Diaires 2.09 | Köstliche Gerichte aus der Region

February 25, 2025June 18, 2021 by Coffee Break Languages

It’s the penultimate episode of the Coffee Break German Travel Diaries Season 2! As the ship docks in Melk, a small Austrian town on the Danube, Karl and Birgit marvel at the Melk monastery after a relaxing breakfast before tucking into goulash later in the day. Back onboard, plans are all in place and Karl sows a seed for his big surprise for Birgit. We see some adverbial phrases as well as verbs used as nouns in this week’s diary entry which Mark and Andrea discuss in detail.

Our premium version includes lesson notes with additional examples and explanations of the language in each lesson, and a pronunciation practice video to help you improve your speaking. Click here to access the course on the Coffee Break Academy.

CBS Travel Diaries 2.09 | Entrada en Chile

June 30, 2021June 17, 2021 by Coffee Break Languages

In the penultimate episode of the series, Ainhoa, Luisa and Esteban arrive in Chile and make the most of the last few days of their trip visiting the coastal city of La Serena, tasting local specialities and visiting the peaceful Japanese Gardens. Discover what the city has to offer through Ainhoa’s diary entry and find out when the word aunque triggers the subjunctive.

CBE 1.09 | It’s tea time – Britain’s favourite drink and gerund and infinitive forms

March 5, 2025June 15, 2021 by Coffee Break Languages

This week Susan talks about the most popular drink in the UK – tea! She tells us about the history of tea in the UK, and some British tea traditions. We also focus on using the gerund and infinitive forms after certain verbs.

CBSw 1.30 | Vem är jag?

March 5, 2025June 14, 2021 by Coffee Break Languages

We’ve reached Lesson 30 of our Coffee Break Swedish course for beginners. This time, we’re putting our learning into practice with an identity quiz as we try to guess the identify of a mystery person described by Swedish teacher, Hanna. Join Mark and Hanna in this lesson and revise how to describe what someone looks like; what they like and dislike; what they do for a living; and much more.

CBG Travel Diaries 2.08 | Ein Ruhetag in der Dreiflüssestadt

April 14, 2025June 11, 2021 by Coffee Break Languages

Welcome back to another episode of the Coffee Break German Travel Diaries Season 2! This time, we’re in Passau on the German-Austrian border – a romantic city on the Danube – surrounded by green hills and colourful houses. Karl manages to hide his nerves as well as a secret purchase while he and Birgit enjoy a relaxing day strolling through the 3-river city. Join Mark and Andrea as they take a closer look at the object pronouns and adjectives featured in Karl’s diary entry.

CBS Travel Diaries 2.08 | Sucre: la ciudad blanca

June 30, 2021June 10, 2021 by Coffee Break Languages

In Episode 8 of the Coffee Break Spanish Travel Diaries Season 2, we’re in Sucre, the constitutional capital of Bolivia, also known as La ciudad blanca for its white buildings. Join Coffee Break Spanish hosts Mark and Marina as they explain some of the language used in this episode, including the useful phrases contar con and tomar rumbo.

CBE 1.08 | We won a match! – Ryan’s ice hockey experiences and the present perfect tense

February 25, 2025June 8, 2021 by Coffee Break Languages

This week Ryan talks about a popular Canadian sport, ice hockey! He tells us about his experiences playing hockey, and how it has helped to bring his family together. We also focus on the difference between the present perfect and the past simple for past actions.

Chapitre 21 – Cela comportait de gros risques !

March 4, 2025June 7, 2021 by Coffee Break Languages

We have reached Part 3 of our drama, La Vérité éclate toujours, for advanced learners of French. In each episode of the story, published fortnightly, we’ll be following a chapter of La Vérité éclate toujours, specially written to help you build your knowledge of French and extend your range of expression. In the episodes, teacher Mark and narrator Pierre-Benoît will discuss the story, helping you improve your listening skills.

After their discovery during their visit to the university at the end of Part 2, James, Claire and Yvette return to Claire’s house near Geneva and begin to plan the next steps in their investigation. In this episode we meet many examples of the past historic, the pluperfect and the imperfect, as well as an example of the past anterior tense.

There’s also an online course version of La Vérité éclate toujours which provides access to a range of additional materials including the text of each chapter, annotated notes, language study podcasts, vocabulary lists, video versions of each episode and our atelier linguistique which helps you to take the language you’ve covered in each chapter further. This course is available on the Coffee Break Academy.

CBG Travel Diaries 2.07 | Ein Regentag in Regensburg

February 26, 2025June 4, 2021 by Coffee Break Languages

In this episode, Regensburg lives up to its name weather wise but the rain doesn’t stop Karl and Birgit from making the most of their day trip as they explore museums and churches before heading to the magnificent Thurn und Taxis Castle. Karl finally shares details of his big surprise – Das Geheimnis ist gelüftet! – before enjoying some dancing in the evening. This episode features lots of celebration related vocabulary such as the phrases: Vorbereitungen sind getroffen, and Die Feier ist geplant.

CBS Travel Diaries 2.07 | Comida en Cochabamba

March 5, 2025June 3, 2021 by Coffee Break Languages

Ainhoa, Luisa and Esteban have arrived in Cochabamba, the gastronomic capital of Bolivia! The trio are kept busy with lots of sightseeing as they visit the Plaza 14 de Septiembre and the Paseo de la Independencia. Join Mark and Marina as they discuss the language featured in this episode and listen out for the use of the verb saber and the conditional tense.

CBE 1.07 | Have you eaten haggis? – A traditional Scottish dish and the present perfect tense

February 12, 2025June 1, 2021 by Coffee Break Languages

This week Catriona tells us about a traditional Scottish dish – haggis! We learn all about its ingredients and history, and why some people don’t like it. We also focus on talking about past events using the present perfect tense.

CBSw 1.29 | Kan jag få prata med Per?

April 9, 2025May 31, 2021 by Coffee Break Languages

In this lesson, we learn how to make a phone call in Swedish and take a look at what a conversation over the phone may look like in three different scenarios. How do you call to ask for someone? What do you say if you realise you’ve dialled the wrong number? How do you make an appointment over the phone? Listen to the lesson to find out!

CBG Travel Diaries 2.06 | Von der Kaiserburg sieht man die ganze Stadt!

February 25, 2025May 28, 2021 by Coffee Break Languages

It’s time to discover a brand new city in Episode 6 of the Coffee Break German Travel Diaries, Season 2. This time, we’re joining Karl and Birgit in Nuremberg! The couple’s newfound friends join them as they sample some local beer while avoiding the rain after their bus tour and castle visit – all before Karl finalises plans for his surprise. In this episode we review modal verbs, learn how to express ‘…ago’, and how to use the word geworden.

CBS Travel Diaries 2.06 | La Paz

June 30, 2021May 27, 2021 by Coffee Break Languages

We’re joining Ainhoa, Luisa and Esteban in La Paz for Episode 6 of the Coffee Break Spanish Travel Diaries Season 2. While exploring the city and tasting local cuisine, hosts Mark and Marina delve into the language featured in this week’s diary entry and discuss the preterite continuous tense.

CBE 1.06 | You should visit the Grand Canyon – A famous American landmark and modal verbs

March 17, 2025May 25, 2021 by Coffee Break Languages

This week Kate tells us all about a famous place in the USA – the Grand Canyon! We learn lots of information about this beautiful place, and we hear some rules and advice for visiting, using the modal verbs ‘must’, ‘mustn’t’, ‘should’ and ‘shouldn’t’.

CBG Travel Diaries 2.05 | Mittelalterliches Flair

February 26, 2025May 21, 2021 by Coffee Break Languages

Welcome back to Season 2 of the Coffee Break German Travel Diaries! We’re halfway through our virtual trip and this time, we’re joining Karl and Birgit at a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Discover the spectacular architecture and half-timbered houses in Bamberg and enjoy a trip on the river in a different kind of boat – Eine andere Art von Bootsfahrt – while hosts Mark and Andrea tell us more about the perfect, imperfect and pluperfect tenses.

CBS Travel Diaries 2.05 | Titicaca y las islas flotantes

June 30, 2021May 20, 2021 by Coffee Break Languages

In this episode of the Coffee Break Spanish Travel Diaries Season 2, we join Ainhoa, Luisa and Esteban on the next stop of their trip – Lago Titicaca, one of South America’s largest lakes. As the trio explore Taquile Island, our hosts, Mark and Marina, delve into the language used in Ainhoa’s diary entry, pointing out examples of the preterite and imperfect tense along the way.