Coffee Break Italian season 3

Hi All

Coffee Break Italian has just released a season 3. Where they cover grammar. One can subscribe, but the podcast are free. Some good examples, good conversation and a good revision of grammar structures

Sebongela

Very useful, sebongela - thanks.  I hadn't realised that the podcasts in later seasons were free, so it'll be well worth checking out.

Grazie

Chris

Hi ChrisM108

Been wondering how you are doing. Hope all is well in your world, as well as in the language learning world. I use Coffee Break extensively. The Travel Diaries and the Italian Magazine  also  free on the podcasts. I have subscribed to season 3 Italian, the Travel Diaries and the magazine. I like being able to see the notes and the visuals as it all makes sense for my learning style. 

Coffee Break does have a Black Friday sale on currently in case you are interested. I am just frustrated with Rocket grammar at this stage, so do the exercises, but am relying on other sources to put it all into context. I also just miss the simplicity of just Alex and Maria, find the hosts for German and Italian irritating. So be it one can't please everyone

Ciao Sharon

Tutto a posto, grazie.  

I understand.  Grammar is a pain for many, and learning what learning method works is important.  Do you think the paid version is worth the money?  It would be useful to hear your perspective, especially as there is a discount available.

Grazie

Chris

Hi Chris M108

I have paid for season 3 of their Italian. I find the notes really useful, but I am a more visual learner too. You can normally look at the subject matter and you can preview it too I think the preview includes the notes. That is what I did and then decided it was worth the purchase.

 I also bought their travel diaries and magazine seasons. In all cases I did preview the lessons. I use them a lot.  My vocabulary has increased and my understanding has improved tremendously in understanding how the language is put together. The reading club, signed up for that, the free one, I get a weekly reading club email, but decided that the notes were at a minimum and don't intend buying that one. I like the change in medium and presentation. Short concentration span and all that. Yes, a discount helps too. Have entered their competition, I would be over the moon if I won that.

Let me know what you decide. You are obviously computer smart and I found it about tedious getting to the previews, I'm sure won't be for you. 

Ciao 

Sebongela

Hi ChrisM108

If you have no joy on finding the free preview lessons. Email them and ask them for them, I'm sure they will oblige

Sebongela

Thanks, sebongela.  I'll delve into that today, and let you know.  It's your comment about the grammar aspect that draws me to the idea.

A presto

Chris

Hi again ChrisM108

Now you have made me anxious

Non ti preoccupare, sebongela! I saw the details of your post above on the notification email.  I'd always look deep and hard at a product before spending money!  I'll look further before considering spending on it.

Personally, I get on with Rocket's approach to grammar.  They do it as a slow burn, and make me figure out the rules, occasionally spelling it out.  Horses for courses, but it really works for me.

I finished Duolingo Italian out of stubbornness, but didn't value it.  As with everything, there was stuff to be learned from it, but like you, I'd not recommend it.  Basta!  

A presto

Chris

Buon giorno ChrisM108 

Not sure if you have found the sample lessons. Was listening today, ( while doing housework) never goes way. Sample lessons can be found apparently at Coffee Break Italian plus.com. By now you probably have found them!

Ciao 

Sebongela

Buongiorno sebongela. Come stai oggi?  I found the free lessons, thanks.  https://coffeebreaklanguages.com/tag/cbi-season-2/?order=asc  I've decided not to take up the discount offer, as I don't seem to find the time to focus on my non-Rocket resources systematically as it is!  Where I do get extra time, I can use the free podcasts.  Thanks for highlighting the benefits though!

Ciao

Chris

Buon giorno ChrisM108

Sto molto bene, grazie. I know what you are saying from a time point of view. A lot of the time with Coffee Break I just listen. When doing mundane household chores and in the summer while weeding my garden. For the German one I have subscribed and so pay attention, once I have a general knowledge then listen more passively. Use the Italian free podcasts for revision. The travel diaries, magazine and season 3, I pay close attention to, as more challenging and I use the notes too. That has helped with my vocabulary immensely. Just a completely different approach, so enjoy the differences. As you know Rocket is more hands on other than the conversations.

I come back to the fact that the grammar is awful. German as well. But then nothing is perfect. And I can live with my irritations. Still an amazing language program

Have a good weekend

Sebongela

Ciao Sebongela,

Mi fa piacere sapere che stai bene e che stai approfittando dei podcast di Coffee Break per ascoltare durante le attività quotidiane. È un'ottima strategia per mantenere l'ascolto attivo e allo stesso tempo rilassarsi e imparare in modo più passivo. Anche il fatto di utilizzare le risorse gratuite di Rocket Italian, come le Travel Diaries, la rivista e la terza stagione, è un modo fantastico per arricchire il tuo vocabolario e affrontare sfide più impegnative.

Hai ragione riguardo alla grammatica, a volte può essere un po' complicata e frustrante. Tuttavia, è importante ricordare che la padronanza della grammatica è una parte fondamentale dell'apprendimento di una lingua e, con il tempo e la pratica, diventerà più familiare e naturale.

Sono felice che tu consideri Rocket Languages un programma di lingua incredibile nonostante le piccole imperfezioni. Continua a fare pratica e non esitare a contattarci se hai domande o hai bisogno di aiuto.

Buon fine settimana anche a te, anche se in ritardo! :) 

Hi Enxhi

Thank you for replying in Italian. I could understand most of that and that really thrills me. I need to look up some of the words that I am not familiar with. But really enjoyed reading that and understanding as I said most of it. I like to listen to Easy Italian news, as again don't get a lot of it, but get the general idea. 

Grazie

Maxie

Ciao Maxie,

Che notizia fantastica! :) È incoraggiante sapere che sei riuscito a capire la maggior parte della mia risposta in italiano. La tua dedizione all'apprendimento sta davvero dando i suoi frutti. Cercare parole sconosciute è un ottimo approccio per ampliare il tuo vocabolario.

Ascoltare fonti come Easy Italian news è un modo meraviglioso per immergersi nella lingua e abituarsi al suo flusso e contesto. Continua a impegnarti a fondo, e il tuo viaggio in italiano continuerà a fiorire!

Grazie per la tua costanza e impegno! :)

How are you doing these days, Maxie?  Here, the jet stream has been sitting over England, so we're having a “washout summer” - rain nearly every day, below average temperatures, etc.  My Italian exchange partner has been experiencing the Mediterranean heat domes, so I'd rather have the British weather as far as temperatures go.

Like you, I find that I get a real buzz when in my schedule, I am able to speak Italian during my exchanges.  Our friend Daniel (he of the x3 weekly emails) recommended maximising immersion, so I am doing more of that, and read ansa.it news as part of that.  Getting the drift of Italian news is part of the process for me.  I'm also increasing my daily use of Rocket in terms of grammar patterns (not the rules, though!).

Are you still dividing your time between German and Italian?

A presto

Chris

Hi Chris

Good to hear from you. We have not had a washed out summer. Forest fires everywhere and very, very dry. Only the weeds are thriving. Have a golden brown lawn. Some people still have beautiful green lawns. Makes me as mad as a snake, as we are in a drought situation with restrictions. Don't know the idiom for that in Italian, but there must be one.

My sister in laws in Portugal have been complaining that LIsbon has not had a proper summer. One of them is moving to Wales. I believe it rains a lot there. 

I concentrated on German, as we were off on a holiday there for 3 weeks. Getting back into Italian, but am using the Coffee Break Club, as they have excellent videos on all sorts of topics. From grammar, reading, translation etc. So use Rocket mostly for speaking to keep that feeling natural. Also doing Spanish, but very slowly. Am slowly getting grammar to feel more natural in Italian.  In Germany at least I was aware when the grammar came out incorrectly. It was so lovely to be able to speak in natural situations and would like that experience in Italy.

I see that C Hartman is not doing Italian at the moment. Hope that her hearing is okay. I often think of her and the challenges she has had. 

Keep well

A presto

Maxie