Coffee Break Italian

Coffee Break Italian is a podcast for beginner and intermediate learners. The hosts are Mark, Francesca, Katie, and Isla. Mark is the teacher, and Francesca is the native speaker. Katie and Ilsa are the students. They ask questions, make mistakes, and learn along with the listeners.

Episodes of the podcast explore various aspects of the Italian language. For beginners, some episodes teach how to greet people. They explain how possessive adjectives work and list words for family members. For intermediates, they talk about making plans and the difference between "questo" and "quello." Italians have a saying, "Sbagliando 'simpara." It means that making mistakes is how learning happens. There is frequent repetition, and Katie asks lots of questions.

Listeners might appreciate the "CBI Mag" podcast episodes. In those, Mark and Francesca chat about Italian culture. They visit Castelluccio di Norcia, a village in Umbria. They discuss the work of author Italo Svevo. They compare panettone and pandoro. The descriptions are in slow Italian at first. Afterward, Mark and Francesca revisit them sentence by sentence. It is a great listening practice activity.

In "CBI To Go" episodes of the podcast, Francesca asks questions to native speakers. In one, "Preferisci l'estate o l'inverno?" Italians explain what their favorite season is and why. Another, "Co'shai fatto ieri?," is about the past tense. Francesca and Mark review the answers and explain any idioms they encounter.

The "Travel Diaries" episodes follow two other hosts. Husband and wife Simone and Anna are on vacation in Trentino-Alto Adige. The region shares a border with Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and Austria. Anna and Simone enjoy winter sports and visit some of the area's historical sites. Podcast listeners learn useful phrases like "tanto che." The couple discover the local foods and new verbs.

Coffee Break Italian is a valuable podcast for people who want to work on their Italian outside the classroom. The settings are conducive to authentic situations and real-life language use. Listeners may appreciate the slow pace of the speakers and the frequent repetitions.