105 9 The Region Podcasts

In the final episode of this season of the Coffee Break German Magazine, we hear a text about the well-known and successful German actor and director, Til Schweiger. As we hear about his life and international career, we review some important grammar points such as the imperfect irregular tense and scheint zu sein. As always, we hear relevant vocab…

We’re discussing a film in this episode of the Coffee Break German Magazine: ‘The Life of Others’ by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck. Set in 1984, the film portrays life in the German Democratic Republic, in East Berlin, and follows a couple being spied on by a member of the Stasi. We hear more about the film through the text featured in this epis…

The topic of this Coffee Break German Magazine episode is hot air balloons - specifically the annual hot air balloon competitions which take place in the Alps during the month of January. As we learn about these fascinating competitions, we encounter some interesting vocabulary including the words: bunt, egal ob… oder… and lenken. Mark and Andrea a…

In the latest instalment of the Coffee Break German Magazine, we’re heading on a road trip in the Austrian Alps! Throughout the text featured in this episode, we explore the Großglockner Hochalpenstraße - a scenic mountain road and one of Austria’s main attractions - while taking note of the interesting language points, including: adjectives, the i…

We hope you're hungry as this episode of the Coffee Break German Magazine is all about a traditional North German dish made of potatoes, beef, pickles and beetroot. This used to be a sailor’s dish but today it’s found all over Northern Europe, and there are lots of different variations. This episode will give you the opportunity to brush up on your…

We're halfway through the Coffee Break German Magazine Season 3! In Episode 5 we listen to a text about the Habsburg dynasty and its legacy. We hear lots of new vocabulary and grammar points which Mark and Andrea explain along the way. Be sure to listen until the end to learn about a proverb which is the equivalent to c'est la vie in French. In eac…

Welcome to another episode of the Coffee Break German Magazine! This time, our hosts, Mark and Andrea, focus on a text about the Hanse (a trade/military network of cities between the 12th and 17th century) and the Hanseatic cities of Germany. We discuss the cities which were part of the Hanseatic league and how this is celebrated once a year with r…

We're back with another episode of the Coffee Break German Magazine! We're talking football this week, specifically the highest professional German football league. As we learn how the league works, we focus on some interesting language points including adjective declination and superlatives before rounding off the episode with the following prover…

Welcome back to the Coffee Break German Magazine! In this episode we hear a text about the most famous train route in the German-speaking region: the Glacier-Express! We learn about this 8-hour trip which runs between Zermatt and St. Moritz, offering breathtaking views along the way. We encounter many interesting pieces of vocabulary throughout the…

Welcome to a brand new series of the Coffee Break German Magazine! In this first episode of Season 2, our hosts, Mark and Andrea discuss The German Shepherd Dog. We learn about the origins of this type of dog and how German Shepherds can act as police dogs, rescue dogs, and therapy dogs while also also being friendly family dogs. Listen out for pas…

In this special episode, Mark provides an update on all things Coffee Break German including the return of the Coffee Break German 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 German Club, where you can get your daily dose of German acti…

We're back! We're delighted to announce that, starting today, the 22nd October 2021, Coffee Break German Season 3 is available. In this series you'll take your German to the next level, accompanied by your friendly teachers and hosts, Andrea and Mark. In each episode you'll learn about a language point and listen to Andrea and Mark explaining the a…

Welcome to the tenth and final episode from Season 2 of the Coffee Break German Travel Diaries! For the final stop of our trip, we're in Austria’s capital - Vienna - which offers many spectacular sights. The best part of the trip is still to come as Karl's big surprise is finally revealed to Birgit! Join Mark and Andrea as they round off the series…

It's the penultimate episode of the Coffee Break German Travel Diaries Season 2! As the ship docks in Melk, a small Austrian town on the Danube, Karl and Birgit marvel at the Melk monastery after a relaxing breakfast, before tucking into goulash later in the day. Back onboard, plans are all in place and Karl sows a seed for his big surprise for Bir…

Welcome back to another episode of the Coffee Break German Travel Diaries Season 2! This time, we're in Passau on the German-Austrian border - a romantic city on the Danube - surrounded by green hills and colourful houses. Karl manages to hide his nerves as well as a secret purchase while he and Birgit enjoy a relaxing day strolling through the 3-r…

In this episode, Regensburg lives up to its name weather wise but the rain doesn't stop Karl and Birgit from making the most of their day trip as they explore museums and churches before heading to the magnificent Thurn und Taxis Castle. Karl finally shares details of his big surprise - Das Geheimnis ist gelüftet! - before enjoying some dancing in …

It's time to discover a brand new city in Episode 6 of the Coffee Break German Travel Diaries, Season 2. This time, we're joining Karl and Birgit in Nuremberg! The couple's newfound friends join them as they sample some local beer while avoiding the rain after their bus tour and castle visit - all before Karl finalises plans for his surprise. In th…

Welcome back to Season 2 of the Coffee Break German Travel Diaries! We're halfway through our virtual trip and this time, we're joining Karl and Birgit at a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Discover the spectacular architecture and half-timbered houses in Bamberg and enjoy a trip on the river in a different kind of boat - Eine andere Art von Bootsfahrt …

In the latest instalment of the Coffee Break German Travel Diaries Season 2, we discover another river - the Main - and a new romantic setting in the cobbled streets of Würzburg in Bavaria. The couple discover what the city has to offer and Karl’s plan takes shape after a trip to the wine cellar. While discussing Karl's latest diary entry, Coffee B…

In the latest episode from Season 2 of the Coffee Break German Travel Diaries, Karl and Birgit are waking up in Koblenz, a beautiful city in Rhineland-Palatinate. The couple join their new friends on a cable car trip, high above the Rhine, to The Ehrenbreitstein Fortress before rounding off the day with dinner on deck. Throughout the episode, Coffe…

We're back with the second episode of the Coffee Break German Travel Diaries, Season 2. This time, Karl and Birgit see the sites of Cologne and enjoy a view of the city from a modern high-rise building - Ein Blick aus der Höhe! Join hosts Mark and Andrea in this episode and learn some useful adverbs and vocabulary related to tourism. Our premium ve…

Welcome to Season 2 of the Coffee Break German Travel Diaries! This time, we're joining Karl, Birgit and friends as they take a river cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest, through Germany and Austria to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. Throughout the journey, they'll sail on 3 rivers through 4 countries and see many cities while aboard. In th…

Join us in the final episode for this series of the Coffee Break German Travel Diaries. Karin and her family are back in the camper van, driving the last few kilometres of their memorable 450km trip. As they make it to their last stop in Lindau, Karin reflects on the time she has spent travelling with her family and the wonderful places they have v…

Welcome back to the Coffee Break German Travel Diaries, our 10-episode series in which we're following Karin and her family as they travel through the Alpenstraße with their camper van. This leg of the family’s trip brings them to Neuschwanstein, a fairy tale castle atop a steep hill and a picture perfect setting for this week's diary entry. Will t…

In Episode 8 of the Coffee Break German Travel Diaries, Karin and the family enjoy a lazy start to the day after the excitement of the Zugspitze. We join them for a damp, but calm walk in the lush, green forest under the Baumkronen. As always, Coffee Break German hosts Mark and Andrea will be breaking down the language used in Karin's travel diary …

The adventures of Karin and her family continue! In Episode 7 of our Coffee Break German Travel Diaries series we hear about Karin and her family's wonderful day up the Zugspitze, the highest mountain in Germany at 2962m above sea level. As always, Mark and Andrea discuss the interesting language used in Karin's travel diary entry. We hear some fam…

Join Karin and her family in Episode 6 of the Coffee Break German Travel Diaries as they spend a picturesque day in Garmisch-Partenkirchenm, one of the most popular German skiing areas. Although skiing isn't on the cards for the family, they still have a fantastic, fun-filled day and even make some new friends. As Mark and Andrea discuss Karin's tr…

Every 30th September, the podcasting world comes together to celebrate podcasting on International Podcast Day. We're celebrating today by saying thank you to the Coffee Break community in this special podcast episode. International Podcast Day aims to raise awareness about podcasts and gives podcast creators and listeners a chance to celebrate the…

We're halfway through our journey along the Deutsche Alpenstraße and this week, we're joining Karin and her family as they climb to the top of the mountain, Der Herzogstand and enjoy the cable car on the way back down before lunch. As hosts Mark and Andrea discuss Karin's travel diary entry, they identify and review a number of verbs, including sep…

In this week's episode of the Coffee Break German Travel Diaries, Karin and her family approach the Austrian border. They explore the new area and take in the nature around them before having some family fun on the Sommerrodelnbahn (summer toboggan on metal tracks). Listen out for an example of the pluperfect tense as well as the preposition bei. L…

Join Karin, Johannes, Alex, and Janina in this week's episode of the Coffee Break German Travel Diaries as they continue their journey through the mountains, taking in the spectacular scenery along the way. In Episode 3, we're exploring the Wendelstein and the Wasserfall Tatzelwurm before relaxing by the Lagerfeuer (campfire) on the banks of the la…

We're back for the second episode of the Coffee Break German Travel Diaries! This time, we're accompanying Karin and her family on a hiking trip to explore the breathtaking Chiemgauer Alpen (Chiemgau Alps) before heading back on the road to drive towards the beautiful freshwater lake, Chiemsee. Listen out for lots of new vocabulary including the co…

Welcome to this brand new series from Coffee Break German for intermediate learners. Following in the footsteps of our recent French and Italian Travel Diaries, we're now heading to Germany for the Coffee Break German Travel Diaries! Join Karin and her family on their road trip through the Alpenstraße with their Wohnmobil (camper van). In each epis…

We've reached the final episode in this season of the Coffee Break German Magazine. Join Andrea and Mark for one last time as they discuss Berlin's most famous street. We also hear from listener, Andrew who is looking for some tips on pronunciation. To finish, Olivera shares an impressively long word in German. In each episode of this 10-lesson sea…

Andrea, Olivera and Mark are back with a new episode of the Coffee Break German Magazine. This episode focuses on a famous German composer and his works. Our phone-in question from listener Anu deals with learning more than one language at a time, and Olivera's "long word in German" this week has no fewer than 46 letters! In each episode of this 10…

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 annivers…

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 he…

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 help of our ques…

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. In each episode of this 10-lesson season f…

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 each episode of this 10-lesson season f…

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 …

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 Ren…

The Coffee Break German team is back with a new series, the Coffee Break German Magazine. In each episode of this 10-lesson season for intermediate learners you can build your vocabulary, increase your understanding of grammar and learn to use the German language in a more natural way. This series follows on from Seasons 1 and 2 of Coffee Break Ger…

Coming in August 2019, the Coffee Break German Magazine will help you build your understanding of intermediate German. In each episode of the Coffee Break German Magazine you'll pick up new vocabulary, hear further examples of grammar points you already know, and learn new grammar through the discussions in each episode with teacher Andrea and lear…

It's time for the final lesson in our series, and the last instalment of our soap opera. Listen to the lesson to find out what comes of our friends in the Wohngemeinschaft, and whether Phillip and Hanna ever get together! As usual, the episode is rich in complex German and Andrea is on hand to help you understand everything. We hope you've enjoyed …

We're back with another episode of Coffee Break German, the penultimate lesson of this season, and the penultimate instalment of our soap opera. This week Carola and Hanna are stressed about their exam preparation and enlist the help of their friend Sybille. Carola also has some words of wisdom to share with Hanna following the latest meeting with …

In this latest episode of Coffee Break German, Alex has to deal with a break-in at the Pub this week and is being interviewed by a police officer. This gives us the opportunity to hear a different style of German, and we'll also be looking at the verb werden in detail. As usual, Andrea is on hand to explain everything. This season of Coffee Break G…

It's time for another episode of Coffee Break German, and another instalment of our soap opera. This time we're joining Carol, Miriam and Philip at the party where Philip is hoping to get to know Hanna a bit better. But will the arrival of Alex put a spanner in the works? As ever, the episode provides lots of opportunities to experience new and int…

In our latest episode of Coffee Break German we're continuing our soap opera and joining Carola, Hanna and Miriam on a shopping trip. The dialogues provide an opportunity to look closely at a number of interesting language points, including the use of adjectives as nouns and the use of nouns as verbs! Andrea is on hand to explain everything to Mark…

In this episode of Coffee Break German, the flatmates in our Wohngemeinschaft are organising a party for Carola's birthday and they're looking for the perfect location to hold the party. As usual, Andrea is on hand to help Mark and you understand everything in the conversation. This season of Coffee Break German features a total of 40 episodes, pub…