We have reached the tenth and final episode of the Coffee Break Italian Magazine Season 2! We’re stepping back in time as we’re discussing two Renaissance events which take place in the region of Marche in May. Join Mark and Francesca one last time in this series as they explore masculine words ending in -a and qualche (some) and ogni
Welcome back to the Coffee Break Italian Magazine! This time, we’re talking about the origins of a well-known romantic tradition – La Serenata. While listening to a text about this ancient tradition, we learn about the following grammar points: basta che + subjunctive, the ce n’è structure, and how to use il proprio / la propria as an alternative to il suo/ la sua. As
Welcome to the latest episode of Coffee Break Italian! In this episode we will be focusing on the passato remoto (past historic), on it’s formation and it’s use. We will then listen to a story from Carlotta’s grandfather about his family migrating from Italy to New York. Listen out for some key vocabulary such as
In this episode of the Coffee Break Italian Magazine, we’re talking about the Sibillini Mountains – a mountain chain in central Italy which includes a beautiful natural park. Join Mark and Francesca as they discuss a text highlighting what these impressive mountains have to offer while talking about some key vocabulary and grammar points including:
The latest episode of Coffee Break Italian we’re introducing a new past tense – the trapassato prossimo, also referred to as the “pluperfect”. Listen out for some handy phrases including: essere a pezzi, a proposito and ci sto! Don’t miss our ancora una cosina at the end of the episode.
The topic of this Coffee Break Italian Magazine episode is the life and work of Italy’s greatest poet and ‘father’ of the Italian language: Dante Alighieri. We review various grammar points in this episode, including: the historical present, relative superlative adjectives, the passive with venire and si passivante. Be sure to listen until the end of the episode to hear
In this episode of Coffee Break Italian we’re covering the topic of irregular plurals both in terms of nouns and adjectives. In the dialogue featured in this lesson, Elisa meets her friend and tells her about her recent summer holiday in Turkey. She mentions the topics of food, methods of transport and a cycling injury.
Pandoro o Panettone? That is the question Mark and Francesca are discussing in this episode of the Coffee Break Italian Magazine! While listening to a text about these traditional Italian Christmas cakes, take note of any new words or phrases you hear, such as tanto che, dibattito infiammato and brevettare. We also learn about the passive structures with venire instead of essere; nonostante +
Welcome back to another episode of Coffee Break Italian Season 3! In this episode we cover the topic of molto, troppo, poco, tanto used as adjectives and adverbs. We continue listening to the dialogue of Nicola and the guided tour of Puglia, which has now reached the destination of Alberobello, famous for its Trulli and
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
In this special episode, Mark provides an update on all things Coffee Break Italian including the return of the Coffee Break Italian Magazine in late April 2022; the launch of the Coffee Break books, available from June in your local bookshop and from online retailers; and the Coffee Break Italian Club, where you can get
Coffee Break Languages is a product of Radio Lingua Ltd.
