Millions of learners worldwide have been using Coffee Break Spanish over the past three years. The course is consistently among the top educational podcasts on iTunes UK and US, and has won a European Award for Languages in 2007 and the European Professional Podcast Award 2008.

Coffee Break Spanish consists of eighty lessons which covers all aspects of beginners – intermediate Spanish. The course is organised in two levels:

• Level 1, lessons 1-30 – introduction to the language, personal information, transactional vocabulary;
• Level 1, lessons 31-40 – conversations featuring the language covered in lessons 1-30;
• Level 2, lessons 41-70 – a grammatical approach, based on earlier material;
• Level 2, lessons 71-80 – dialogues in a narrative, practising previously learned language and introducing new grammatical concepts

What does a lesson involve?

Each lesson is based around a 15-20 minute recording which introduces a point of grammar or an area of vocabulary. These audio lessons can be downloaded from the main Radio Lingua site at no cost. The additional materials for each lesson include the following elements:

• an ‘enhanced’ version of the main podcast which includes synchronised flashcards and lesson notes viewable while listening to the audio;a printable lesson guide
• additional listening materials which help to consolidate the language learned in the main lesson, often involving music, relaxation techniques or interactive quizzes and tests.

Extra materials

In addition to the extra materials for individual lessons, the premium version of the course also features a set of exercises and wordlists for the full series.

Possible uses

Like all our courses, Coffee Break Spanish can be used in a variety of ways. Here are some ideas:

• Schools can use the materials as additional classroom materials. With the premium version of the course, a guide to the content of all lessons is provided, so if a class needs to revise the formation of the preterite tense of -ar verbs, the teacher knows exactly which lesson can be used for this purpose. The materials also lend themselves well to cover lessons as every episode of the course is “taught” by the teacher on the podcast, requiring no input from a specialist. For classroom use, purchase license A.
• Senior pupils in secondary schools who wish to learn another language independently but do not have access to a teacher can use the course. The lessons are provided in the correct format for iPods and mp3 players and can be used on the range of mobile devices which many students already own. The course is progressive so learners can follow each lesson and build on existing knowledge to consolidate their learning further. Allowing pupils to download the courses through the membership system requires license B.
• A special license can be provided which allows schools to use the materials for staff training. Imagine the possibilities if every member of staff in your school was able to communicate effectively in Spanish and could integrate the language into the day-to-day learning in your classrooms. It’s not practical for teaching and support staff to sign up for a twilight or night class to learn a language, but the CPD license of Coffee Break Spanish would allow you and your colleagues to learn at your own pace, in your own time, on your own devices – computer, iPod or the car CD-player on the way to school. This option requires license C.

Two options: digital delivery or DVD

All our courses are delivered digitally, so you can simply download the required material to your computer or server for use in your school*. Digital distribution minimises printing costs and when you sign up we’ll provide you with the details of how to access the materials. Additional accounts can be created if you choose the home-use license for pupils (B). Alternatively, for a small charge we can provide a backup dvd of all the materials. Please note that we do not provide printed copies of lesson notes.

Interested? Find out more…

Read more about Coffee Break Spanish on the main Radio Lingua site including reviews by listeners from around the world or check out all your options in our pricing section.

*Please note that if your school network can be accessed by pupils from home then you may be required to purchase a home-use license (B). Please contact us to discuss your needs.
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