Learn German in coffee-break lessons from the Radio Lingua Network. In each lesson we'll focus on the language you need to know and before long you'll be making yourself understood with native German speakers.
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There’s nothing worse that bad weather when you’re on holiday and in this week’s Coffee Break German you’ll learn to avoid it so that you can enjoy travelling in a German-speaking part of the world even more. In this lesson you will learn: to talk about the weather in the present, asking “what is the weather like” and giving appropriate responses; to talk about the weather in the future, asking “what is the weather going to be like tomorrow”, again with a range of suitable responses; how to tell...
Half way through the course! In this twentieth lesson of Coffee Break German you’ll join Mark as he is tested by Thomas on everything he has learned so far in the course. In this lesson: test yourself on what you’ve learned with the translation challenges set by Thomas; translate from German into English and from English into German; join Kirsten for a useful review of the main grammar points covered so far in the course; find out about music from Germany and Austria in our Cultural Corresponden...
In this latest episode of Coffee Break German you’ll continue learning to deal with public transport in German. In this lesson you’ll learn: to talk about train/bus arrival and departure times; to ask when buses and trains arrive and depart; to ask for single/return tickets and specify more information about the tickets you want to buy; about the German concept of Pünktlichkeit , both in the context of public transport and the German psyche; about Mitfahrgelegenheit and how it could help you to ...
In this week’s episode of Coffee Break German you’ll be learning to talk about public transport. In this lesson you’ll learn: to ask what time the train or bus leaves and arrives; to specify which train or bus you’re enquiring about; to use a special construction which can be reused in many question situations; about German Ampelmännchen , traffic light men, in our Cultural Correspondent section; and to conjugate the verb sein (“to be”) in the present tense. This season of Coffee Break German fe...
It’s time for a new episode of Coffee Break German. In this lesson you’ll be learning how to talk about what there is to do in the town in the context of a visit to the tourist information office. In this lesson you’ll learn: how to ask what there is to do and see in a town; to understand possible answers to this question; to talk about the exact location of places in the town using words like neben (next to) and gegenüber (opposite), and zwischen (between); about the dative case and its use aft...
In this latest episode of Coffee Break German you’ll be learning to deal with shopping situations in German. In this lesson you’ll learn: how to ask for things in shops; how to use the verbs kaufen (to buy), anprobieren (to try on), zahlen (to pay) and nehmen (to take); what modal verbs are, and how to conjugate können (to be able) and wollen (to want) in the present tense, and mögen (to like) in the conditional; cultural tips for dealing with shopping in German-speaking areas. This season of Co...
In this latest episode of Coffee Break German you’ll be taking your German skills a stage further. In this lesson you’ll learn: to count from 11 to 1,000 – and beyond; the days of the week in German; further useful words and phrases to deal with hotels and accommodation. This season of Coffee Break German features a total of 40 episodes. Stay subscribed to the podcast to enjoy each episode. If you'd like to benefit from lesson notes, bonus audio recordings and video versions of the lessons featu...
In this week’s episode of Coffee Break German we’re introducing a new theme: checking into a hotel in a German-speaking area. In this lesson you’ll learn: useful words and phrases for checking into a hotel; the full conjugation of the verb haben in the present tense; some cultural informaiton about breakfast traditions in German-speaking areas. This season of Coffee Break German features a total of 40 episodes. Stay subscribed to the podcast to enjoy each episode. If you'd like to benefit from l...
In this week’s episode of Coffee Break German you’ll learn more language for ordering food and drinks in cafés. In this lesson you’ll learn: how to use adjectives correctly when ordering food; the different forms of adjectives following the indefinite article; how to deal with paying a bill in a restaurant; how to tip in German-speaking areas. This season of Coffee Break German features a total of 40 episodes. Stay subscribed to the podcast to enjoy each episode. If you'd like to benefit from le...
In this week’s episode of Coffee Break German you’ll be learning more words and phrases to deal with ordering food and drinks. In this lesson you’ll learn: the words for savoury and sweet snacks; how to order food in restaurants in German; how to use the indefinite article in German in the accusative. This season of Coffee Break German features a total of 40 episodes. Stay subscribed to the podcast to enjoy each episode. If you'd like to benefit from lesson notes, bonus audio recordings and vide...
We’re back with a new episode of Coffee Break German, the first in a new season of ten lessons which focus on practical German you’ll need on a trip to a German-speaking country. Lesson 11 focuses on the topic of ordering drinks in cafés. You will learn: the words for various hot and cold drinks; how to use the indefinite article (the word for “a”) in German; useful expressions for ordering drinks in a café; the plural forms of the verb kommen in the present tense; about the culture of Kaffeetri...
In this latest episode of Coffee Break German you’ll realise how much you’ve learned since you started following the course by listening to a conversation using lots of the language you’ve covered so far. This lesson is a review of the language covered so far in our course. This lesson includes: an extended conversation between two speakers featuring a range of topics; bonus vocabulary to extend your range of expression; phrases for greetings at special times of the year. This season of Coffee B...
In this latest episode of Coffee Break German we’ll be looking at how to cope with language difficulties and to explain that you don’t understand – that you’re just learning German! In this lesson you’ll do some practice of last week’s topic of giving directions, and you’ll learn to talk about the languages you speak. You’ll learn: to say that you speak a little German; how to cope in situations where you don’t understand what is being said to you; the words for a number of languages; how to con...
Building on previous lessons, this episode teaches more complex German directions and introduces new vocabulary for places like swimming pools, post offices, and hospitals. The "Grammar Guru" segment demystifies German cases, specifically the nominative and accusative forms of definite articles. Additionally, the "Cultural Correspondent" takes listeners on a virtual tour of major cities in Austria and Switzerland, highlighting their unique characteristics.
Learn to navigate German towns by mastering key phrases for asking for directions and identifying places. This episode covers essential vocabulary like "der Bahnhof" and "die Bank," understanding grammatical genders, and forming questions like "Wo ist...?" It also delves into complex German word order with modal verbs and concludes with a cultural segment on major German cities, providing a comprehensive lesson for travelers.
In this week’s episode of Coffee Break German we’re looking at numbers from zero to ten, and dealing with buying things in stores and cafés. In this lesson you’ll be learning some numbers and how to deal with shopping in German. You’ll learn: the numbers from zero to ten; how to ask how much something costs; how to “spell” larger numbers and how to ask German speakers to write down the number or price; some useful phrases for dealing with shopping situations in German. This season of Coffee Brea...
It’s time for another episode of Coffee Break German. In this week’s show, you’ll learn how to introduce members of your family to your new-found German-speaking friends. In this lesson you’ll be learning how to introduce members of your family. You’ll learn: the words for different members of your family; how to introduce members of your family in German; how the gender of nouns works in German; the word for “the”, depending on the gender of nouns; how to say “my” for masculine and feminine nou...
Introduction In this week’s episode of Coffee Break German you’ll take your German skills further and continue to develop your confidence in using the language. In weekly episodes you’ll join native speaker Thomas who’ll be teaching learner Mark in gradual, structured lessons. Our “Cultural Correspondent” Julia and our “Grammar Guru” Kirsten will also join us in each episode to share their knowledge and love of all things German. In this lesson you’ll be moving on to talk about where you live. Y...
Introduction Welcome to a new episode of Coffee Break German, our new course for beginners in German. In weekly episodes you’ll join native speaker Thomas who’ll be teaching learner Mark in gradual, structured lessons. Our “Cultural Correspondent” Julia and our “Grammar Guru” Kirsten will also join us in each episode to share their knowledge and love of all things German. In this lesson you’ll be moving on to talk about where you come from. You’ll learn: how to ask the question “where do you com...
In this Coffee Break German lesson, Mark and Thomas guide listeners through essential greetings for different times of day, including "Guten Morgen," "Guten Tag," "Guten Abend," and "Gute Nacht." The grammar guru explains why "Gute Nacht" differs, focusing on adjective endings and noun gender. The episode also covers formal introductions, teaching how to ask and state one's name, and features a cultural segment on German-speaking regions worldwide and its connections to English.
In this inaugural episode of Coffee Break German, hosts Mark and Thomas introduce the basics of the German language. Listeners will learn essential greetings such as 'Hallo' and 'Auf Wiedersehen,' how to ask 'Wie geht's' (How are you?), and basic responses. The episode also introduces cultural correspondent Julia and grammar guru Kirsten, who will contribute to future lessons.
Mark and Thomas introduce Coffee Break German, detailing the first ten lessons which cover essential phrases like greetings, introductions, counting, and navigation, aiming for basic conversational confidence. They also introduce the grammar and cultural components, and explain how to access free audio lessons alongside premium video flashcards, lesson notes, and bonus materials.
