As we WALK around the streets of Italy, we’ll TALK about the language we see around us, and you’ll LEARN more Italian! Walk, Talk and Learn! Welcome to this new series from the Coffee Break Italian team in which we’ll be helping you build your understanding of Italian and increase your vocabulary through our regular videos. In each episode of Walk, Talk and Learn, we’ll be focusing on a word or phrase in a sentence which we’ve found on a poster, an advert or a menu we’ve found out and about in the streets of Italy.
Coffee Break Languages
Meet the team: Pierre-Benoît
My name is Pierre-Benoît Hériaud and I feel very proud, privileged and honoured to say that I have been working with Radio Lingua since the very beginning! ☺
What is your role in Coffee Break?
I have contributed to and helped with creating, producing and recording material for all 4 seasons of Coffee Break French. Our advanced podcasts : 40 episodes of « La Vérité éclate toujours » as well as our first series of 10 episodes of « Il était une fois » have been launched and I am currently working with the team on more exciting material for our new platform “Coffee Break TV “.
What experience have you had speaking and learning other languages?
I studied English and Spanish at the University of Nantes (France) and moved to Scotland when I was 20 and worked as a French assistant in Ayrshire. I settled in Scotland and for the last 35 years, I have been teaching French & Spanish in a secondary school.
I love teaching and I love learning. Every day is a new experience because every class is different and every single person will leave the class with a little more knowledge of the target language. Being involved in Coffee Break allows me to have a wider audience and there is definitely something gratifying and rewarding to know that people have learned, progressed and felt more confident in the language they study, thanks to all the Coffee Break French material that has been published.
I enjoy meeting our listeners in person at different shows. In the past, we’ve attended The Language Show and The France Show in London and our latest one was Destinations. It is lovely to chat to learners and find out what CBF means to them.
Watch Pierre-Benoît in action at the France Show in this video.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bk0rIFDL3B4?start=82]
What are your favourite memories of working with Coffee Break?
PASS! Far too many, but it’s been a good laugh and I have enjoyed every single moment working with the team. I guess the most recent one being on the Coffee Break stand at the Destinations Show in London, winding up my younger colleagues and on a more serious note, getting to meet customers and hear how they’ve enjoyed learning French with CBF.
It’s also good to go back to “one’s humble roots” and I can’t help thinking back to the days when Mark started Coffee Break French and came to Pornic to record in my town and even in my house! I believe many episodes feature the voices of my father, my sisters and even my nieces! I guess I’m part of the Coffee Break family just like Mark is part of the Hériaud family.
Where would your ideal coffee break be, and with whom?
It would have to be while teaching Jennifer Lopez how to speak French! Or perhaps an espresso with Laurent Gerra – you are guaranteed to have a good laugh.. L’espoir fait vivre…
Not quite a coffee break, but I certainly enjoy a “music break”, so here’s a video of Mark and me performing a couple of our favourite songs, Francis Cabrel’s Petite Marie and Billy Joel’s She’s Always a Woman, recorded in a Facebook live session while in London for the France Show.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21wVKQbdH8Q]
What’s your best language-learning tip?
Keep practising – as often as possible and do not get discouraged! I still make mistakes in English, in Spanish – in French! We all do… Keep going!
Quick-fire round
- Favourite language: French & English
- Favourite word/phrase in the language: Pas d’lézard!
- Favourite film: in English – As Good As It Gets; in French: Le Prénom
- Favourite destination: anywhere… with nice people.
Any further thoughts?
All the best to all our listeners around the world with their language learning. Keep practising … et surtout, ne vous découragez pas !
Using the French Subjunctive with “pour que” – Walk, Talk and Learn French Episode 001
Are you not sure when to use the subjunctive in French? Join Mark from Coffee Break in this “Walk, Talk and Learn French” video and learn about using the subjunctive after the subjunctive trigger pour que, meaning “so that”. This video was filmed at the 2018 Roland Garros tennis tournament and is based on the tournament’s slogan Pour que nos émotions ne meurent jamais, “so that our excitement never dies”.
In this video, Mark explains that pour que is one of the triggers for the subjunctive. However, while meurent is the subjunctive, it’s interesting to note that it’s actually the same as the indicative form of the verb. Mark goes through the full conjugation of mourir (“to die”) in both the present indicative and the present subjunctive, and he talks about how the present subjunctive is formed by taking the ils/elles plural form of the present indicative and adding the subjunctive endings. Note that mourir is an irregular verb.
Make sure you subscribe to Coffee Break Languages on YouTube to be notified when we post new videos!
CBG 2.30 | Review Lesson
Welcome to the 30th lesson in the season and it’s time for some review. You won’t believe how much you’ve learned in lessons 21-29, and in this episode Andrea and Mark will be reviewing topics such as Wechselpräpositionen, relative pronouns, modal verbs, and much more!
CBC 1.27 | Talking about your job in Chinese
In this episode of Coffee Break Chinese you’ll learn to talk more about yourself, specifically by talking about your job, where you work, what you do and where you’d like to work if you didn’t have your current job! Crystal provides some interesting information about Chinese work ethic, and you’ll be able to practise your Mandarin with the help of a conversation about jobs.
CBI 2.30 | Review lesson
This episode of Coffee Break Italian is a review episode, covering many of the topics discussed in lessons 1-29. With Francesca, Isla and Mark you’ll review the pronouns ci and ne, how to form the perfect, how to choose between the perfect and imperfect, and much more.
CBF-ER 1.10 | Au Pays du Citron
In this final episode of our first season of En Route avec Coffee Break French, Mark is back in Menton, talking to some of the locals. We’ll find out more about the type of people who visit Menton from the hotel manager, we’ll learn about Menton’s connection to the artist Jean Cocteau, and we’ll discover how the local dialect is being maintained. As usual, this episode is presented in a combination of French and English, and the aim of the episode is to help you learn more about the area and about the French language, while practising your listening skills with engaging content from a variety of speakers with different accents and speeds of delivery.
Listen to the lesson
The audio lesson is free, as are all the main audio lessons of En Route avec Coffee Break French. Use the audio player above to listen to the lesson, or subscribe in Apple Podcasts to receive this lesson and all future lessons automatically. If you can’t see the player above, click here to access the lesson.
Accessing the Premium Version
In the full course of En Route you’ll get access to every episode as it’s released. The premium version includes additional materials which will help you move forward more effectively with your French studies:
- transcripts: read every word of French included in the conversations;
- vocabulary lists: in addition to the transcripts, we’ll provide vocabulary lists to help you understand everything that’s said;
- bonus audio materials: where an edited version of an interview is included in the main lesson, we’ll provide the full recording in the course to allow you to develop your comprehension skills further;
- exclusive video content: in addition to recording interviews in the south of France, the Coffee Break Team also filmed some video content and this video material is included in the course. Please note that these are not video versions of the interviews.
The En Route course can be accessed on the Coffee Break Academy.
Subscribe links
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts | RSS Feed | Purchase full course
CBI 2.29 | Ho molti amici molto simpatici
It’s time to take a detailed look at a topic which, on the surface, can seem straightforward, but when you get into it in more detail it can get a bit more complicated. We’re talking about adverbs: words which “describe” a verb, or which give more information as how quickly, effectively, badly etc., you’re doing whatever it is you’re doing! We’ll look at the Italian equivalent of adding “-ly” to an adjective, but we’ll also consider other types of adverbs, and we’ll look at those tricky adverbs like molto. Are you 100% sure when to use molto and when to use molti/molte/molta? By the end of this lesson you’ll be confident with all kinds of Italian adverbs!
CBG 2.29 | Fährst du in die Schweiz, oder fährst du in der Schweiz?
Coffee Break German Season 2 is all about helping you “tighten up” your German, and this episode addresses one of the trickiest aspects of German for learners. You’re already familiar with prepositions, and you’re already familiar with the accusative and dative case, but did you know that there is a group of prepositions which can take the accusative OR the dative, depending on the situation? By the end of this lesson all will become clear and you’ll be able to make the correct decision every time with the help of Andrea and Mark.
CBF-ER 1.09 | Prochain Arrêt : Monaco
In this episode of En Route avec Coffee Break French, Mark heads to the Principality of Monaco where he attends the Changing of the Guard, meets Riviera blogger Kevin Hin, and experiences the ePrix, a version of the Grand Prix for electronic racing cars. As usual, you’ll be learning about the area while improving your French through the interviews and language study provided in the lesson.
To find out more about the French Riviera visit Kevin’s blog at french-riviera-blog.com.
Listen to the lesson
The audio lesson is free, as are all the main audio lessons of En Route avec Coffee Break French. Use the audio player above to listen to the lesson, or subscribe in Apple Podcasts to receive this lesson and all future lessons automatically. If you can’t see the player above, click here to access the lesson.
Accessing the Premium Version
In the full course of En Route you’ll get access to every episode as it’s released. The premium version includes additional materials which will help you move forward more effectively with your French studies:
- transcripts: read every word of French included in the conversations;
- vocabulary lists: in addition to the transcripts, we’ll provide vocabulary lists to help you understand everything that’s said;
- bonus audio materials: where an edited version of an interview is included in the main lesson, we’ll provide the full recording in the course to allow you to develop your comprehension skills further;
- exclusive video content: in addition to recording interviews in the south of France, the Coffee Break Team also filmed some video content and this video material is included in the course. Please note that these are not video versions of the interviews.
The En Route course can be accessed on the Coffee Break Academy.
Subscribe links
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts | RSS Feed | Purchase full course
CBC 1.26 | Talking about why you’re visiting China
In this episode of Coffee Break Chinese you’ll learn to increase your range of expression to deal with conversations when visiting China and explaining why you’re there, how long you’re there for, and how long you’ve been learning Chinese.
CBI 2.28 | Dopo aver fatto colazione, vado al lavoro
In this episode of Coffee Break Italian we’re looking at two constructions which will help you increase your range of expression easily and effectively. You’ll learn to use prima di + infinitive and dopo + past infinitive with both avere and essere verbs. Once you’ve mastered these expressions you’ll be able to talk about “before doing something” and “after doing something”, and understand the nuances of each of these expressions in their Italian translations.
CBG 2.28 | Deutschschüler sind Leute, die Deutsch lernen
Coffee Break German is the course which teaches you German. Andrea is the teacher who helps Mark learn. You are the student who is learning along with Mark, and this is the lesson in which you’ll learn all about relative pronouns in German! We’ll learn how to use relative pronouns to combine two clauses together and how relative pronouns work with different genders and cases. All will become clear!
CBG 2.27 | Wir sollten wirklich nach Zürich fahren
In this lesson we’re dealing with what, on the surface, seems like a tricky topic: the use of the verb sollen. We’ll learn to use the verb in the Present and Präteritum, and we’ll learn about the subtle differences of using each tense. Sollen is used to say what someone “should do”, or “ought to do”, and the key question involves whether or not you’re being given advice, a suggestion is being made, or indeed you’ve already been given orders by someone else (e.g. doctor, teacher, parent, etc.) to do it! Complicated stuff, but we’ll help you sort it all out!
CBI 2.27 | Fra 10 minuti dobbiamo essere da tuo zio!
We’re back with the second instalment of our two-part preposition marathon. In this episode you’ll learn all you need to know about the prepositions di, da, con, per and tra/fra. Once again, there are some crucial nuances with certain prepositions which can completely change the meaning, so listen carefully in this lesson! As usual, Francesca and Mark provide plenty of examples to help, and Isla puts what she learns to the test with a translation challenge. By the time you’ve completed this lesson you’ll be a preposition pro!
CBF-ER 1.08 | De Sospel à Gorbio
Welcome to our “frogs and dogs” episode of En Route avec Coffee Break French. In this episode Mark starts in the village of Sospel which straddles the Bévéra river and is a popular destination for walkers and cyclists. He then travels on to the village of Gorbio and has a coffee break with photographer Jilly Bennett whose passion is for photographing the life – and dogs – of the village. As usual, the episode is full of fascinating insights into the local area, and plenty of French to help you practise your listening skills.
To find out more about Jilly and her work, please visit her website.
Listen to the lesson
The audio lesson is free, as are all the main audio lessons of En Route avec Coffee Break French. Use the audio player above to listen to the lesson, or subscribe in Apple Podcasts to receive this lesson and all future lessons automatically. If you can’t see the player above, click here to access the lesson.
Accessing the Premium Version
In the full course of En Route you’ll get access to every episode as it’s released. The premium version includes additional materials which will help you move forward more effectively with your French studies:
- transcripts: read every word of French included in the conversations;
- vocabulary lists: in addition to the transcripts, we’ll provide vocabulary lists to help you understand everything that’s said;
- bonus audio materials: where an edited version of an interview is included in the main lesson, we’ll provide the full recording in the course to allow you to develop your comprehension skills further;
- exclusive video content: in addition to recording interviews in the south of France, the Coffee Break Team also filmed some video content and this video material is included in the course. Please note that these are not video versions of the interviews.
The En Route course can be accessed on the Coffee Break Academy.
Subscribe links
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts | RSS Feed | Purchase full course
CBC 1.25 | Dealing with emergencies in Chinese
In this episode you’ll learn to deal with emergencies in Chinese. Needless to say, we hope you never have to use this language, but it’s useful to know nonetheless! You’ll learn to talk about losing wallets, reporting stolen passports and asking for help in various situations. You’ll be ready for all eventualities by the time you’ve listened to this episode!
CBI 2.26 | Preferisci andare in palestra o a teatro?
This is the first of our two-part preposition marathon! In this episode you’ll learn all you need to know about the prepositions a, in and su. Using prepositions in Italian can be quite tricky, particularly because they don’t work the same way as in English. There’s also the fact that, when combined with the definite articles, the prepositions take on different forms. Through this lesson about (su) prepositions, you’ll learn to (a) use the prepositions in (in) the correct way!
Listen to the episode
The audio lesson is free, as are all the main audio lessons of Coffee Break Italian. Use the audio player above to listen to the lesson, or subscribe in iTunes to receive this lesson and all future lessons automatically. If you can’t see the player above, click here to access the lesson.
CBC 1.24 | Making phone calls and using the Internet in Chinese
In this lesson you’ll learn the words and phrases needed to make phone calls and use the internet in Mandarin Chinese.
CBG 2.26 | Kommst du jeden Dienstag mit dem Fahrrad zur Deutschklassen?
In this lesson we’re tackling a tricky subject for learners of German: word order. In particular we’re looking at where adverbs come “inside the Verbklammer”. For this we’ll be introducing you to a new concept: “Tekamolo”. All will become clear in this lesson.
