Coffee Break Spanish

More preterite tenses this week: it’s now time to look at reflexive verbs and verbs which have spelling changes ('radical-changing verbs') in the preterite tense. Please note that lesson 16 of Season 2 was originally known as lesson 216 of Coffee Break Spanish. We have renumbered the lessons of each season as lessons 1-40 to make things more simple for our listeners. This season of Coffee Break Sp...

We’ll be continuing our study of the preterite tense in this week’s lesson and it’s time to take a look at some irregular verbs: hacer , ir , ver and dar in the preterite, so that you can talk about what you did, where you went, what you saw and more in the past. Please note that lesson 15 of Season 2 was originally known as lesson 215 of Coffee Break Spanish. We have renumbered the lessons of eac...

This week’s episode of Coffee Break Spanish looks further at the preterite tense which is used to relate events in the past. Listeners should be aware that this episode was originally released in February 2008 and therefore mentions Valentine’s Day. We hope this doesn’t spoil your enjoyment of the episode! Please note that lesson 14 of Season 2 was originally known as lesson 214 of Coffee Break Sp...

In episode 13 of Coffee Break Spanish we introduce the preterite tense which is used to talk about things in the past. Please note that lesson 13 of Season 2 was originally known as lesson 213 of Coffee Break Spanish. We have renumbered the lessons of each season as lessons 1-40 to make things more simple for our listeners. This season of Coffee Break Spanish features a total of 40 lessons, all of...

In episode 12 of Coffee Break Spanish Season 2 we’ll review all the verbs which we’ve been learning over the past few months. Please note that lesson 12 of Season 2 was originally known as lesson 212 of Coffee Break Spanish. We have renumbered the lessons of each season as lessons 1-40 to make things more simple for our listeners. This season of Coffee Break Spanish features a total of 40 lessons,...

In episode 11 of Coffee Break Spanish Season 2 we learn how to say what you’re going to do in the future. In Spanish you use the verb ir combined with a and an infinitive. The lesson explains all you need to know and provides useful examples! This episode was originally released in January 2008, so it focuses on the context of New Year’s Resolutions. Apologies for any confusion resulting from...

In episode 10 of Coffee Break Spanish Season 2 we’re putting what we’ve learned in recent weeks about descriptions to the test with an identity game. Please note that lesson 10 of Season 2 was originally known as lesson 210 of Coffee Break Spanish. We have renumbered the lessons of each season as lessons 1-40 to make things more simple for our listeners. This season of Coffee Break Spanish feature...

This week on Coffee Break Spanish we’re taking a further look at adjectives and we’ll be doing more practice using adjectives and making them agree with the word they describe. We’ll also take a look at describing people, including talking about hair and eyes. Please note that lesson 09 of Season 2 was originally known as lesson 209 of Coffee Break Spanish. We have renumbered the lessons of each s...

An easy way of extending your range of language is by using adjectives, and this lesson of Coffee Break Spanish looks at adjectives in detail. In Spanish adjectives have to 'agree' with the word they describe and you’ll learn the rules of adjective agreements. Please note that lesson 8 of Season 2 was originally known as lesson 208 of Coffee Break Spanish. We have renumbered the lessons of each se...

In lesson 7 it’s time to take a look at radical changing verbs, verbs which have some regular spelling changes in certain parts of the verb. Once you get used to these patterns you’ll be conjugating verbs like querer , pensar , poder and volver without a problem! Please note that lesson 7 of Season 2 was originally known as lesson 207 of Coffee Break Spanish. We have renumbered the lessons of each...

In lesson 6 Mark and Kara look at the difference between ser and estar , the two verbs which mean ‘to be’ in Spanish, and a grammar point learners often find difficult. Please note that lesson 6 of Season 2 was originally known as lesson 206 of Coffee Break Spanish. We have renumbered the lessons of each season as lessons 1-40 to make things more simple for our listeners. This season of Coffee Bre...

In lesson 5 Mark and Kara look further at making arrangements using the tricky Spanish verb quedar . Please note that lesson 5 of Season 2 was originally known as lesson 205 of Coffee Break Spanish. We have renumbered the lessons of each season as lessons 1-40 to make things more simple for our listeners. This season of Coffee Break Spanish features a total of 40 lessons, all of which will be incl...

In lesson 4 Mark and Kara look at making arrangements and introduce the idea of irregular verbs, using ir (to go) and hacer (to do/make) as examples. Please note that lesson 4 of Season 2 was originally known as lesson 204 of Coffee Break Spanish. We have renumbered the lessons of each season as lessons 1-40 to make things more simple for our listeners. This season of Coffee Break Spanish features...

Lesson 3 introduces the concept of reflexive verbs and completes our teaching on talking about your daily routine. Please note that lesson 3 of Season 2 was originally known as lesson 203 of Coffee Break Spanish. We have renumbered the lessons of each season as lessons 1-40 to make things more simple for our listeners. This season of Coffee Break Spanish features a total of 40 lessons, all of whic...

Lesson 2 continues where we left off last time and looks further at conjugating verbs within the context of daily routine and making arrangements. Please note that lesson 2 of Season 2 was originally known as lesson 202 of Coffee Break Spanish. We have renumbered the lessons of each season as lessons 1-40 to make things more simple for our listeners. This season of Coffee Break Spanish features a...

Hello and welcome to another season of Coffee Break Spanish! In level 1 we concentrated on learning useful words and phrases for a whole range of situations you’re likely to encounter on a trip to a Spanish-speaking part of the world. However, to a certain extent we’ve been concentrating on set phrases. In level 2 it’s now time to look more deeply at how the language is constructed, and you’ll lea...

Level 1 of Coffee Break Spanish draws to a close with this episode, which looks at the languages of Spain through two conversations with native speakers. Please note that lesson 40 of Season 1 was originally known as lesson 140 of Coffee Break Spanish. We have renumbered the lessons of each season as lessons 1-40 to make things more simple for our listeners. This season of Coffee Break Spanish fea...

In this week’s lesson Mark and Kara talk to Bea, a student they met while recording in Spain. The conversation is the first of two dialogues focusing on language-learning. Please note that lesson 39 of Season 1 was originally known as lesson 139 of Coffee Break Spanish. We have renumbered the lessons of each season as lessons 1-40 to make things more simple for our listeners. This season of Coffee...

In lesson 38, Kara’s not feeling too well, so she and Mark visit a farmacia . Have a listen to the conversation which takes place in the chemist’s. Please note that lesson 38 of Season 1 was originally known as lesson 138 of Coffee Break Spanish. We have renumbered the lessons of each season as lessons 1-40 to make things more simple for our listeners. This season of Coffee Break Spanish features...

In lesson 137 Mark is in the hotel reception asking for directions to a local shopping centre. The conversation will help you practise the language required in this situation. Please note that lesson 37 of Season 1 was originally known as lesson 137 of Coffee Break Spanish. We have renumbered the lessons of each season as lessons 1-40 to make things more simple for our listeners. This season of Co...

On 18th October 2006, episode one of a new language-learning podcast called Coffee Break Spanish was released to the world. This show was a bit different from the other Spanish learning shows out there: it was a gradual introduction to basic Spanish presented by teacher Mark, teaching student Kara. At this stage no-one really knew if the idea would work, but Coffee Break Spanish grew to become one...

After a few weeks of server problems, we’re back with another episode of Coffee Break Spanish recorded in Santiago de la Ribera in eastern Spain. This week Mark and Kara go shopping for postcards and shoes. Please note that lesson 36 of Season 1 was originally known as lesson 136 of Coffee Break Spanish. We have renumbered the lessons of each season as lessons 1-40 to make things more simple for o...

In lesson 135, Mark and Kara are at the tourist information office asking about what there is to do in Santiago de la Ribera. Please note that lesson 35 of Season 1 was originally known as lesson 135 of Coffee Break Spanish. We have renumbered the lessons of each season as lessons 1-40 to make things more simple for our listeners. This season of Coffee Break Spanish features a total of 40 lessons,...

It’s a beautiful morning and Mark and Kara are joined by Kara’s mother and another tourist on the balcony of the hotel for breakfast. Topics covered include forming plural and singular verbs in the formal form. Please note that lesson 34 of Season 1 was originally known as lesson 134 of Coffee Break Spanish. We have renumbered the lessons of each season as lessons 1-40 to make things more simple f...

In lesson 33 we revisit the language learned in earlier lessons for booking into a hotel. Having arrived in Santiago de la Ribera, Kara takes on the role of “Jane Johnston” who needs to check into the hotel. Please note that lesson 33 of Season 1 was originally known as lesson 133 of Coffee Break Spanish. We have renumbered the lessons of each season as lessons 1-40 to make things more simple for...