Coffee Break Spanish Review: Como Se Dice "A Thousand Thanks"?

Back in high school, I was a pretty reluctant Spanish student. Conjugating verbs, hours of vocabulary, abridged versions of Don Quixote—in a word: yawn. But even more sleep-inducing were the endless scenarios teachers would concoct for us to act out in order to make use of our new language skills. We'd order pretend food from make-believe restaurants, hail non-existent taxis, and admire imaginary paintings in museums that existed only in our heads.

Who were the losers in these scenarios? In my life, there was no flagging down cabs or returning undercooked chicken to the chef. Nope, I was busy filling out college applications, dreaming up ways to wriggle out of band class, and trying to figure out if my friends liked me or were just faking it. These (more realistic) scenes did not make it into the curriculum, if I remember correctly. 

Fast forward 15 years. Now that I take occasional trips to Spanish-speaking destinations, I wish I had paid more attention to those restaurant, cab, and museum scenes, because it turns out that this is a lot of what I actually DO on those vacations. And shouting "Camarero! Problema!" to the unhappy waiter who's been assigned to my table would only cement my reputation as an Ugly American.

And that's where Coffee Break Spanish comes in. I can't speak for people who have never taken the language before, but for people like me, who have a vague knowledge of the language and who want to brush up so they don't embarrass themselves on a trip, it's perfect. Hosts Mark and Kara, who have appealing Scottish accents and a relaxed vibe, guide you through scenarios and teach some vocab and conjugations along the way—without making you feel like you're sitting at home with flash cards. Here's what else I like: the shows are well labeled and organized, so you can pick and choose the lessons you think you might need, and you can wedge a couple of the 15- to 30-minute shows in a lunch hour or commute. I sometimes listen to lessons a couple times over the course of a few days to really get the information in my head—something you can't do in a regular classroom.

I've also become hooked on the catchy little cha-cha-cha intro that appears to encourage people to drink beer during their lesson. (Hey, coffee breaks are different in Scotland than they are here in America.)

I suspect that people who are serious about learning the language would benefit from all the extras that can be found on the website and ordered in their premium version, but if you're just hoping to spend a few hours to learn the key phrases that will get you around a Spanish-speaking country unscathed, I'd highly recommend it. I'm heading to Peru in May, and I've ramped up the lessons so I can order from a menu, hail a cab, and ask a guide at a museum about a painting.

Mil gracias, Coffee Break Spanish.