In this episode of the Coffee Break German Magazine we’re heading to the Principality of Liechtenstein, sandwiched between Austria and Switzerland. Europe’s fourth-smallest country it’s one of only two doubly landlocked countries in the world (the other being Uzbekistan!) Find out more about this small German-speaking country and its 300th anniversary in this episode. In addition Olivera is back with
In this episode of the Coffee Break Spanish Magazine we’ll be investigating an astronaut and a dragon eating ice cream on the façade of a 17th Century cathedral. There’s only one city in the Spanish-speaking world where you can see such a thing, and that is Salamanca. Join Mark, Fernanda and Anabel for a quick trip to this jewel in
Have you heard the one about the donkey, the dog, the cat and the rooster? In this episode of the Coffee Break German Magazine we’re finding out about the famous Town Musicians of Bremen. First published in Grimms’ Fairy Tales in 1819, Die Bremer Stadmusikanten has become a key part of the cultural legacy of the German-speaking world. We’ll also
In this first episode in our new season of the Coffee Break Spanish Magazine, join Fernanda, Sofía and Mark as they discuss a topic close to every Latin American’s heart: el fútbol. There’s a question from listener Lonneke about the different verbs for “to walk”, and Sofía provides us with some useful words and phrases associated with football.
Launching on 15 November 2019, the new series of the Coffee Break Spanish Magazine will help intermediate learners of Spanish build their understanding of the language and improve their listening skills. Each episode focuses on a text on a topic related to the cultures of Spanish-speaking countries around the world. In each episode there’s also a phone-in question from a
In this latest episode of the Coffee Break German Magazine we’re focusing on the author Michael Ende who wrote one of the most famous works of fiction for younger readers, the Neverending Story, among other books. Find out more about Ende and his work in this edition of the Magazine, and you can also learn about word order with the
For over 10 years we’ve helped English speakers learn Spanish and now it’s time to help Spanish speakers learn English! With Coffee Break English for Spanish speakers we’ll be teaching the absolute basics of the English language. If you’re interested in finding out more about Coffee Break English, enter your details below. Con nuestros podcasts y cursos en línea, ¡Estarás
Often described as “the other Italian national pastime” (in addition to il calcio, football) cycling is huge in Italy. In this final episode of this season of the Coffee Break Italian Magazine, we take a closer look at the sport which is one of the most practised and watched in the country. In response to listener Nicole’s question, Francesca explains
It’s the most visited monument in the world and at the time of its construction it was the tallest building in the world. Standing in the heart of the French capital, it is undeniably the global symbol of France. We’re talking, of course, about the Eiffel Tower, and in this episode Mark and Pierre-Benoît talk about this famous monument. There’s
For this episode we’re heading to northern Switzerland, the location of the impressive Rheinfall waterfall. You’ll learn all about this natural wonder and practise your German at the same time. Andrea also answers a question from listener Adebajo which concerns two very similar words: Zeichen and zeichnen.
By the time you’ve listened to this episode you’ll have l’acquolina in bocca – your mouth will be watering! Francesca shares a recipe for the rice dish panissa which involves beans, onion, Italian sausage and Arborio rice, and there’s a question from listener Donna who is confused about the difference between the verbs potere and riuscire.
An extraordinary voice and life story filled with success and tragedy in almost equal measure, the “Little Sparrow” is the focus of this episode of the Coffee Break French Magazine. Edith Piaf is known as one of the most widely known French singers, and you’ll learn more about her life and work in this episode.
We have a musical episode of the Coffee Break German Magazine for you today: our theme is Schlager, an immensely popular style of music with catchy melodies and happy-go-lucky lyrics. Find out more about this cultural phenomenon, and learn about reflexive verbs and using the perfect or Präteritum with als.
In this episode of the Coffee Break Magazine we’re heading to the north of Italy to the town of Ivrea, known for its peculiar way of celebrating Carnevale. Our listener’s question in this episode comes from Zack and concerns the tricky word mica which seems to pepper the conversation of native speakers, but is difficult to use as a learner.
Glitz and glamour are the name of the game in this episode of the Coffee Break French Magazine as we head to the south of France for the Cannes Film Festival. In our text we’ll find out more about the interesting origins of this key event in the international cinematic calendar, and we’ll also tackle listener Sophie’s question about ce,ceci,
Following the events of World War 2, the monumental task of clearing and reconstructing towns and cities fell to the Trümmerfrauen, literally “rubble women”. In this episode of the Coffee Break German Magazine we’ll look at this fascinating period of German history. In the other segments of the show, Andrea answers listener Maddie’s question about compound words, and Olivera introduces
… e tanta voglia di futuro. The city of Matera in the Basilicata region of Italy celebrates an incredibly rich heritage, with the word famous Sassi, cave dwellings carved into the mountainside, and looks to the future with the redevelopment of these caves into museums and hotels. In 2019, together with the Bulgarian city of Plovdiv, Matera has been named
We’re heading to north-western France for this episode of the Coffee Break French Magazine to discover more about the Breton language and culture. As ever, you’ll be able to listen to Susie’s text and Mark and Pierre-Benoît are on hand to discuss the text. There’s a question from listener Tomás who wants to know when to use merci de and
In episode 2 of the Coffee Break German we’re heading to the Austrian capital, Vienna, where the world-famous Wiener Prater is to be found. This former hunting ground has become the hub of entertainment for Viennese families. As usual Mark and Andrea will be discussing the language featured in our text, and there’s also a question from listener Rena who
It’s time for a new episode of the Coffee Break Italian Magazine and in this episode Francesca and Mark talk about their summer breaks and where they travelled to. The text for this episode focuses on the traditional Italian dance, la Tarantella, and there’s an interesting question from listener Gianna on the difference between restare and rimanere.
