Modulo

Coffee Break

Recommended Ages

K-12th Grades

Coffee Break is a short, approachable podcast series designed for curious adults and teens who want bite-sized learning in under 15 minutes. Each episode breaks down a big idea in science, culture, or everyday life into a friendly, conversational mini-lesson you can finish while making breakfast or walking the dog. Created by experienced hosts who love turning research into practical takeaways, Coffee Break is popular with busy parents and older kids who want to keep learning without committing to long lectures. It’s not a structured course, but as a free, low-friction way to model lifelong learning and spark dinner-table conversations, it’s a strong value.

This works well for motivated older kids and parents who enjoy podcasts, want conversational practice in Spanish, French, German, etc., and are comfortable supplementing with reading and writing resources.

Pros

Coffee Break Languages gets high marks for its friendly hosts, short “coffee break” lessons, and focus on conversational phrases, making it an easy way for teens and adults to fit secular language learning into busy days. 

Cons

Some homeschoolers find that, on its own, it doesn’t provide enough grammar depth, writing practice, or kid-specific scaffolding, and younger children may struggle with the fast pace or audio‑first format.

Free podcast content doesn’t involve ESA or charter funding. Premium course purchases might be reimbursable under “world language” or “online course” categories in some programs, but families should confirm with their specific ESA or charter before using funds.

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Coffee Break
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Skills

What kids will learn
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Science
Science
Humanities
Humanities
Critical Thinking
Critical Thinking

Coffee Break Mission

Coffee Break’s mission is to make language learning accessible to busy people by delivering high-quality lessons in the time it takes to enjoy a cup of coffee. Through short audio episodes and supporting materials, it helps learners build real conversational skills in languages like Spanish, French, Italian, German, and more—without needing a classroom or huge time commitment.

Coffee Break Story

The Coffee Break story began when Scottish language teacher Mark Pentleton started experimenting with podcasting as a way to support his students outside class. In 2006 he launched Coffee Break Spanish under the Radio Lingua banner, offering free, radio-style lessons that quickly attracted listeners far beyond his own school. Over time, the project grew into Coffee Break Languages, winning European podcast awards and expanding into many languages while keeping the same core idea: learn a little, often, in friendly conversations you can listen to on the go.

About Modular Learning

FAQ: Additional Details about Coffee Break

Imagine sitting at the table with a hot drink while the friendly host guides you through real-life dialogues, pausing for you to repeat and practice. Kids and parents might echo new phrases to each other, laugh at the host’s jokes, and switch back to English to talk about where they’d use the expressions in real life.

Coffee Break Languages offers podcast-style language courses (e.g., Coffee Break Spanish, French, German) built around short, conversational audio lessons. Learners listen to an episode during a “coffee break,” repeat phrases, and gradually build speaking and listening skills; families may also purchase premium materials with transcripts, notes, and bonus content to structure a full course.

Parents and older learners can use the program independently or together. For younger learners, adults typically choose the language, manage the technology, and pause frequently to check understanding, model pronunciation, and weave in games or conversation.

No formal prerequisites for beginner series beyond the ability to focus on audio for 15–20 minutes. Older children, teens, and adults benefit most; younger kids may need more playful, visual support.

Coffee Break language podcasts suit older teens and adults, including autistic or ADHD learners, who prefer audio‑only instruction they can replay at their own pace. Because it’s conversational and incremental, it can be a gentle way for anxious or perfectionistic students to build listening skills without the pressure of live conversation, especially if they pause often to practice aloud.

Free podcast episodes have no associated refund. Purchases of premium courses are processed through Coffee Break’s platform or a vendor, and refunds (if offered) follow their stated digital product policy, which typically limits returns after download.

It’s not ideal as a stand‑alone curriculum for elementary learners, students who need lots of visual supports, or families wanting a fully structured, school‑style course with tests and grades built in.

Alternatives include Expedition Spanish or Homeschool Languages for live or homeschool‑specific classes, Mango Languages or Duolingo for app-based practice, and italki for 1‑1 tutoring with native speakers.

The Coffee Break team continues to produce new seasons, add review episodes, and expand into additional languages and course levels, so there’s always more material as learners progress.

Listen to each episode twice—once just to follow along, then again pausing to repeat out loud and jot key phrases into a notebook; schedule a weekly “language cafe” at home where you and your child only use target‑language phrases you’ve learned.

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Meet Mark

Mark Pentleton is the founder and CEO of Coffee Break Languages and a former high school language teacher from Scotland with years of experience helping students learn French, Spanish, and more. He created the original Coffee Break Spanish podcast and has since overseen a growing family of shows and courses that have reached hundreds of thousands of learners worldwide. A fun fact: Mark is a lifelong language learner himself and often shares his own study strategies and travel stories with listeners to keep motivation high.