Learn English with Coffee Break English
Episodes
All 9 English modal verbs explained in under 5 minutes
11 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Can you name all 9 English modal verbs? In this fast-paced episode of Coffee Break English, Nick gives you a clear overview of all of them: must, shou...
Read faster in English: 4 reading skills you already have
27 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Nick guides you through four reading strategies you probably already use in your own language and shows you how to use them in English. From reading f...
Nick teaches you 10 essential phrasal verbs for shopping in English, from "look for" and "try on" to "rip off" and "pick out"
13 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Shopping in English is full of phrasal verbs, and if you don't know them, even a simple trip to the shops can feel tricky. In this episode, Nick walks...
How to use 'get' in English | The Coffee Break English Show 2.10
08 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How many meanings of the word ‘get’ do you know? In this final episode of The Coffee Break English Show Season 2, Nick and Anabel will help you bu...
English word stress explained - 'PREsent' or 'preSENT' | The Coffee Break English Show 2.09
01 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What’s the difference between ‘PREsent’ and ‘preSENT’? If you’re not sure, then this episode of The Coffee Break English Show is perfect f...
'So', 'too', 'either' and 'neither' - Key phrases for natural English | The Coffee Break English Show 2.08
24 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Do you know when to use ‘so do I’, ‘me too’ and ‘me neither’? In this episode of The Coffee Break English Show, Nick and Mark look at...
How to use 'yet', 'just' and 'already' in English | The Coffee Break English Show 2.07
17 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
So you have learnt how to use the present perfect? Can you use these three adverbs as well? ‘Just’, ‘yet’ and ‘already’ are great ways to ...
The present perfect tense - How to talk about experiences | The Coffee Break English Show 2.06
10 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Do you get confused with the present perfect? Do you know when to use ‘been’ or’ gone’? In this episode of The Coffee Break English Show, Nick...
Too much or too many: What’s the difference? | The Coffee Break English Show 2.05
03 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We are now halfway through this series of The Coffee Break English Show! In this episode, we talk about the quantifiers 'too much, 'too many' and...
How to pronounce TH Sounds in English | The Coffee Break English Show 2.04
27 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Do you find producing the 'th' sound difficult?In this episode of the Coffee Break English Show, we look at different 'th' sounds and how to make them...
Future forms in English - Talking about future plans | The Coffee Break English Show 2.03
20 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Do you know when to use ‘will’, ‘be going to’ and the present continuous??In this episode, we talk about future plans and how to use ‘will’...
'Must' and 'have to' - 4 simple rules | The Coffee Break English Show 2.02
13 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back to episode two of The Coffee Break English Show! In this episode, Nick and Francesca explain how to use 'must' and 'have to' with 4 simpl...
Making comparisons - How to use 'much' and 'a bit' | The Coffee Break English Show 2.01
06 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to a brand new season of the Coffee Break English Show! Throughout this 10-episode series, Nick will help you take your English to the next le...
Festive Bonus Episode | 6 examples of phrasal verbs to celebrate the holidays
18 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to this bonus episode of Coffee Break English! Today, we're learning some examples of phrasal verbs in the time it takes to have a coffee!In t...
‘How much' or 'how many'? | The Coffee Break English Show 1.10
22 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Do you know when to use how much and how many in English? In this final episode of The Coffee Break English Show, Josie and Maurizio talk about when t...
How to pronounce 'Tuesday' and 'Thursday' | The Coffee Break English Show 1.09
15 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Do you know how to say the words Tuesday and Thursday correctly in English? In this episode of The Coffee Break English Show, Josie and Mark chat abou...
‘A' or 'the'? - How to use articles | The Coffee Break English Show 1.08
08 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this new episode of The Coffee Break English Show, Mark and Josie chat about when to use ‘a’ and ‘the’ to talk about general and specific t...
‘In', 'on', or 'at'? - Choosing prepositions | The Coffee Break English Show 1.07
01 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Do you know when to use prepositions 'in', 'on', and 'at' in English? In this episode of The Coffee Break English Show, Josie and Maurizio talk about ...
When to say 'is it?' at the end of a phrase - Question tags | The Coffee Break English Show 1.06
24 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Do you know when to correctly use "is it?" at the end of a an English phrase? In this episode of The Coffee Break English Show we talk about the rules...
‘Like' and 'as' - What's the difference? | The Coffee Break English Show 1.05
17 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We are now halfway through The Coffee Break English Show series! In this episode we talk about when to use the words ‘like’ and ‘as’ and provi...
How to pronounce 'eat' and 'it' | The Coffee Break English Show 1.04
10 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to another episode of The Coffee Break English Show! In this episode we are learning about vowel sounds and focus particularly on the pronunci...
‘Travel', 'trip' and 'journey' - What's the difference? | The Coffee Break English Show 1.03
03 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to the next episode of The Coffee Break English Show! In this episode we talk about the words 'travel', 'trip' and 'journey' and explain when ...
‘I work' or 'I am working'? - The present simple and present continuous | The Coffee Break English Show 1.02
27 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back to episode two of The Coffee Break English Show! In this episode Mark and Josie explain the rules for when to use the present s...
When to use 'do' and 'make' | The Coffee Break English Show 1.01
20 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to the very first episode of the Coffee Break English Show! In this episode, we talk about when to use do and make while looking at some rules...
Introducing the Coffee Break English Show
10 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to our brand new podcast series - the Coffee Break English Show! Throughout this 10-episode series, Mark and Josie will help you take your Eng...
CBE 4.10 | Extra | A waterfall coincidence
03 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In the extra episode, we listen to a conversation between Thomas and Mark about visiting Niagara Falls.Would you like to receive free lesson notes to ...
CBE 4.10 | Niagara Falls | Language focus: phrasal verbs with ‘go’
31 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we hear from Kate in the USA. She talks to us about Niagara Falls, and we focus on phrasal verbs and expressions with the word ‘go’...
CBE 4.09 | Extra | Have you seen the Lord of the Rings?
27 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In the extra episode, we listen to a conversation between Maurizio and Josie about the Lord of the Rings films.Would you like to receive free lesson n...
CBE 4.09 | New Zealand’s landscapes | Language focus: extreme adjectives
24 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we meet Zoe from New Zealand. She talks to us about the landscape of the country, and we focus on extreme adjectives.Would you like t...
CBE 4.08 | Extra | Airport Adventures
20 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this extra episode, we listen to a conversation between Francesca and Mark about some bad experiences in airports. There are lots of examples of th...
CBE 4.08 | The Founding Fathers | Language focus: the past perfect and past simple tenses
17 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we hear from Kate in the USA. She talks to us about the Founding Fathers of the United States, and we focus on the past perfect and p...
CBE 4.07 | Extra | Kings and queens
13 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this extra episode, we listen to a conversation between James and Josie about interesting kings and queens.Would you like to receive free lesson no...
CBE 4.07 | King Henry VIII | Language focus: relative pronouns
10 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we hear from Susan in England. She talks to us about King Henry VIII, and we learn about relative pronouns.Would you like to receive ...
CBE 4.06 | Extra | Weekend conditionals
06 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this extra episode, we listen to a conversation between Mark and Thomas about their plans for the weekend. The conversation contains lots of exampl...
CBE 4.06 | The Crop Over Festival | Language focus: the first conditional
03 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Coffee Break English, we hear from Marcia in the Caribbean. She tells us about an important festival in Barbados, and we focus on t...
CBE 4.05 | Extra | City or countryside?
16 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this extra episode, we listen to a conversation between Josie and James, who is from England, about if they prefer living in the city or the countr...
CBE 4.05 | The Outback | Language focus: negative adjective prefixes
13 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we hear from Matthew in Australia. He tells us about living in the outback, and we focus on negative adjective prefixes.Would you lik...
CBE 4.04 | Extra | What are you scared of?
09 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In the extra episode, we listen to a conversation between Mark and Francesca, who is from Italy, about things they are scared of.Would you like to rec...
CBE 4.04 | The CN Tower Edgewalk | Language focus: ‘have to’ and ‘don’t have to’
06 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we hear from Ryan in Canada. He tells us about an interesting experience in Toronto, and we focus on verbs 'have to' and 'don't have ...
CBE 4.03 | Extra | Visiting Vesuvius
02 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In the extra episode, we listen to a conversation between Josie and Maurizio about visiting Mount Vesuvius.Would you like to receive free lesson notes...
CBE 4.03 | Halema’uma’u crater | Language focus: adjectives and prepositions
29 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we hear from Kate in the USA. She talks about a volcanic crater in Hawaiʻi, and we focus on pairs of adjectives and prepositions.Wou...
CBE 4.02 | Extra | A Safari Park Adventure
25 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In the extra episode, we listen to a conversation between Mark and Thomas, who is from Germany, about visiting zoos and safari parks.Would you like to...
CBE 4.02 | The Big Five | Language focus: used to
22 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we hear from Riaan in South Africa. He tells us about the Big Five, and we focus on the expression used to. Would you like to re...
CBE 4.01 | Extra | Have You Ever Worn a Kilt?
18 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In our very first extra episode from Coffee Break English Season 4, Josie talks to Maurizio, who is from Italy, about his experiences wearing a kilt.W...
CBE 4.01 | The Kilt | Language focus: phrasal verbs with ‘try’
15 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to a brand new season of Coffee Break English! In this first episode of Season 4, we hear from Gregor in Scotland. He tells us about the kilt,...
CBE 3.10 | Extra | A superlative conversation
20 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this final extra episode of Coffee Break English Season 3, we listen to a conversation between Josie and Mark containing lots of superlative adject...
CBE 3.10 | Uluru | Language focus: superlatives
17 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We have reached the end of Coffee Break English Season 3! In this final episode of the series we hear from Matthew in Australia. He tells us all about...
CBE 3.09 | Extra | Film recommendations
13 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this week's extra episode, Mark and Josie talk about films they have watched recently. We hope you enjoy our film recommendations!Would you like to...
CBE 3.09 | Hollywood | Language focus: Something, everything, nothing and anything
10 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to another episode of Coffee Break English! This time, we hear from Kate in the USA who talks to us about Hollywood. We also focus on the word...
CBE 3.08 | Extra | What did you do last weekend?
06 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In the extra episode of Coffee Break English, we listen to a conversation between Josie and Mark about what they did last weekend. Pay attention to th...
CBE 3.08 | David Attenborough | Language focus: irregular past tenses
03 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back to another episode of Coffee Break English! This time, we hear from Susan in England who talks to us about a very famous British person -...
CBE 3.07 Extra | Snorkelling and scuba diving
29 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this extra episode of Coffee Break English, Mark and Josie talk about their experiences snorkelling and scuba diving.Would you like to receive free...
CBE 3.07 | Ningaloo Reef | Language focus: ‘i’ and ‘ee’ pronunciation
26 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Coffee Break English, we hear from Matthew in Australia. He tells us about an interesting place in Australia, and we focus on how t...
CBE 3.06 Extra | Useful inventions
22 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this extra episode of Coffee Break English, we listen to a conversation between Josie and Mark about useful inventions.Would you like to receive fr...
CBE 3.06 | The invention of the telephone | Language focus: phrasal verbs with ‘up’
19 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Monica in Scotland tells us about a famous Scottish inventor. We also focus on phrasal verbs with the word ‘up’. Would you l...
CBE 3.05 | Extra | Future predictions
15 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this extra episode of Coffee Break English, Mark and Josie discuss their future predictions. Pay attention to how they express the future as you li...
CBE 3.05 | NASA | Language focus: how to talk about the future
12 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Coffee Break English, we hear from Ryan in Canada. He tells us about the future of North American space travel, and we learn about ...
CBE 3.04 | Extra | Favourite recipes
08 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We hope you're hungry as Josie and Mark are talking about their favourite dishes to cook in this extra episode of Coffee Break English.Would you like ...
CBE 3.04 | Jamaican jerk cooking | Language focus: modal verbs of possibility
05 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we hear from Marcia in the Caribbean. She talks about a traditional Jamaican way of cooking, and we focus on the modal verbs ‘might...
CBE 3.03 | Extra | Pop icons
01 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to another episode of Coffee Break English! This time, we listen to a conversation between Josie and Mark about famous pop stars. Would you li...
CBE 3.03 | Elvis Presley | Language focus: gerund and infinitives
29 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Kate from the USA talks about a very famous American singer - Elvis Presley. We also focus on using the gerund or infinitive after ce...
CBE 3.02 Extra | Visiting Australia
25 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In the extra episode of Coffee Break English, our hosts Josie and Mark talk about their experiences visiting Australia.Would you like to receive free ...
CBE 3.02 | Dreamtime | Language focus: the present perfect tense
22 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we hear from Matthew in Australia. He talks about an important part of indigenous Australian culture, and we focus on when to use the...
CBE 3.01 Extra | A Comparatives Quiz
18 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this season of Coffee Break English we're bringing you an extra episode related to the content covered in our main episode on a Tuesday. In today's...
CBE 3.01 | The Cheeseburger | Language focus: comparatives
15 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we hear from Kate in the USA. She tells us about the history of the cheeseburger, one of the world’s most popular foods. We also fo...
CBE 2.10 | Swimming with the pigs: Pig Beach | Language focus: how to use ‘get’
02 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In the tenth and final episode of Coffee Break English Season 2, we meet Marcia, who takes us to Pig Beach in the Bahamas. We learn about the differen...
CBE 2.09 | Canadian spaceman: Chris Hadfield | Languages focus: past tenses
26 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we hear from Ryan in Canada, who tells us about a famous Canadian - Chris Hadfield. As we learn about his life and achievements, we also focus ...
CBE 2.08 | A classic British dish: Fish and Chips | Language focus: how to pronounce ‘ed’ verbs
18 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we’re back in the UK with Susan, who talks about fish and chips. As we discuss this classic British dish, we also focus on the...
CBE 2.07 | What’s happening on Pukapuka Island? | Language focus: when to use ‘the’ and ‘a’
12 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to another episode of our Coffee Break English course! This time, we hear from Matthew in Australia. He tells us about a mystery on Pukapuka i...
CBE 2.06 | Celebrating freedom: US Independence Day | Language focus: phrasal verbs
05 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back to Coffee Break English! This week we’re with Kate, in the USA. She talks about an important day in her country - Independence Day, and...
CBE 2.05 | Have you seen Nessie? The Loch Ness Monster | Language focus: ‘look’, ‘see’ and ‘watch’
28 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we’re in Scotland and we’re talking about the Loch Ness Monster. Join Coffee Break English hosts Mark and Josie in this episode an...
CBE 2.04 | Let’s celebrate! St Patrick’s Day | Language focus: the present perfect
21 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we meet Steven from Ireland, and he tells us about an important Irish festival - St Patrick’s Day. While learning about this import...
CBE 2.03 | Crikey! Steve Irwin | Language focus: ‘who’, ‘which’ and ‘where’
14 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this week's episode of Coffee Break English, we’re in Australia with Matthew. He talks about Steve Irwin, the famous wildlife expert, and we lear...
CBE 2.02 | Let’s go to South Africa: Table Mountain | Language focus: dependent prepositions
07 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back to Coffee Break English! In this week's lesson, we meet Riaan from South Africa, who tells us all about Table Mountain. While discovering...
CBE 2.01 | A symbol of friendship: The Statue of Liberty | Language focus: the passive voice
31 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to Season 2 of our Coffee Break English course! In this episode, we hear from Kate in the USA. She tells us the story behind the Statue of Lib...
CBE 1.10 | Let’s go surfing - Australia’s favourite sport and phrasal verbs
22 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week Matthew tells us about a popular sport in Australia - surfing! He talks about the people who surf and the surfing lifestyle, and we learn so...
CBE 1.09 | It’s tea time - Britain’s favourite drink and gerund and infinitive forms
15 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week Susan talks about the most popular drink in the UK - tea! She tells us about the history of tea in the UK, and some British tea traditions. ...
CBE 1.08 | We won a match! - Ryan’s ice hockey experiences and the present perfect tense
08 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week Ryan talks about a popular Canadian sport, ice hockey! He tells us about his experiences playing hockey, and how it has helped to bring his ...
CBE 1.07 | Have you eaten haggis? - A traditional Scottish dish and the present perfect tense
01 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week Catriona tells us about a traditional Scottish dish - haggis! We learn all about its ingredients and history, and why some people don’t li...
CBE 1.06 | You should visit the Grand Canyon - A famous American landmark and modal verbs
25 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week Kate tells us all about a famous place in the USA - the Grand Canyon! We learn lots of information about this beautiful place, and we hear s...
CBE 1.05 | How many kangaroos? - Australia’s national animal and quantifiers
18 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back to Coffee Break English! In this episode, Matthew tells us all about an animal from his country - the kangaroo! We learn lots of interest...
CBE 1.04 | What’s your city like? - Colorado Springs and adverbs of manner
11 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Kate tells us all about what life is like in Colorado Springs, in the USA. Throughout the lesson we learn lots of vocabulary related to cit...
CBE 1.03 | Beatlemania - The Beatles and the past simple tense
04 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In episode 3 we're talking about music. In fact, we're talking about one of the most famous bands in history: the Beatles. Coffee Break English can he...
CBE 1.02 | That film was scary! - Talking about films in the past tense
27 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week Kate tells us about which films she likes, and doesn’t like! We learn lots of vocabulary related to films, and we practice using the past ...
CBE 1.01 | Rain in England, sun in Italy - Catriona’s holiday and the present tenses
20 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to our new series which will help you improve your English. Episode 1 of Coffee Break English is about holidays, and our correspondent Catrion...