Best Forbidden Diary Podcasts (2025)

1
CBF Scenes 1.06 | Une cliente mystérieuse 33:59

3d ago33:59

33:59

As the summer heat rises in Chapter six of Scenes, an elderly customer suddenly feels unwell Chez Nico. While the regulars rush to help, a familiar face returns, sparking curiosity about her mysterious habits. This episode explores useful grammar and vocabulary, including se précipiter and se calmer. Ne manquez pas ce nouveau chapitre captivant de …

1
CBF Scenes 1.05 | Une soirée mémorable 34:51

19d ago34:51

34:51

In Chapter 5 of Scenes, the café is packed for its first karaoke night. Even the regulars take to the stage, some with more success than others! Meanwhile, a surprise reunion leads to an exciting announcement. This chapter introduces useful expressions like s’assurer que, marquer le coup, and the agreement of past participles with avoir. Ne ratez p…

1
CBF Scenes 1.04 | Deux larrons en foire 31:28

26d ago31:28

31:28

In Chapter 4 of Scenes, we meet two of Chez Nico’s regulars, whose lively debate about a village event brings energy to the café. Will they ever se mettre d’accord ? Alongside the story, Mark and Hélène highlight key language points with interesting verbs like se chamailler. Continuez à améliorer votre français avec ce nouvel épisode captivant de S…

1
CBF Scenes 1.03 | Un vendredi sous la pluie 31:11

1M ago31:11

31:11

Join Mark and Hélène as the story continues in Chapter 3 of Scenes! Bad weather causes trouble for Jérôme and his bar de plage, but his laid-back attitude keeps things under control. Meanwhile, the café fills up with weekend customers looking for shelter. This lesson introduces useful grammar and vocabulary including débarquer, and prendre l’eau. A…

1
CBF Scenes 1.02 | Une bonne nouvelle 37:20

1M ago37:20

37:20

Join Mark and Hélène for the second chapter in the engaging Scenes series! In this episode, the lively atmosphere at Chez Nico takes an exciting turn when Ségolène shares some big family news. Meanwhile, a customer faces a tricky language challenge with visiting tourists. This chapter introduces some useful vocabulary like maternité, renverser, and…

1
CBF Scenes 1.01 | Un début prometteur 41:44

2M ago41:44

41:44

Join Mark and Hélène at the start of an engaging new story! In this first chapter of Scenes, our course for intermediate French learners, we are introduced to Chez Nico, a lively village café where locals and visitors cross paths. We meet Nico, the new owner, who has just taken over the café where he grew up. As he navigates his first busy weekend,…

1
Introducing Scenes from the Coffee Break Café 2:08

2M ago2:08

2:08

We’re about to launch four brand-new intermediate French language course - Scenes from the Coffee Break Café. Imagine yourself in a charming café, where the aroma of fresh coffee lingers, conversations flow, and life unfolds around every table. In this immersive new course, you’ll follow a compelling story set in a local café and build your languag…

1
Clue #4 (français) | The Great Coffee Break Treasure Hunt 2024 7:37

6M ago7:37

7:37

We have reached the last clue of our virtual treasure hunt La grande chasse au trésor de Coffee Break de 2024, which will lead us to the final location! Test your French and detective skills as Mark and Pierre-Benoît reveal everything you need to know to determine the last destination. Remember to submit your entry form listing the location from ea…

1
Clue #3 (français) | The Great Coffee Break Treasure Hunt 2024 8:24

6M ago8:24

8:24

It's time for the third clue of La grande chasse au trésor de Coffee Break de 2024, our virtual treasure hunt across Europe! Using the interesting facts provided by Pierre-Benoît and your language skills, can you work out where checkpoint number three is? In case you missed it - everyone who correctly identifies the four mystery locations will win …

1
Clue #2 (français) | The Great Coffee Break Treasure Hunt 2024 7:37

6M ago7:37

7:37

We're back with the next episode of La grande chasse au trésor de Coffee Break de 2024, our virtual treasure hunt across Europe! In this episode join Max and Mark as they reveal clue number two and take us one step closer to our final location. As we continue through this mini series we'll discover further clues, solve the mystery and you could be …

1
Clue #1 (français) | The Great Coffee Break Treasure Hunt 2024 7:01

6M ago7:01

7:01

Welcome to the first episode of La grande chasse au trésor de Coffee Break de 2024, our virtual treasure hunt across Europe! Join Max and Mark in this first episode as they reveal the initial clue. As you continue through this mini series you’ll discover further clues, solve the mystery and practise your French. For further details about how you ca…

1
Announcing the Great Coffee Break Treasure Hunt 2024 1:30

6M ago1:30

1:30

New mini-series! Starting on Monday 4th November, join Mark and the Coffee Break French Team for a virtual treasure hunt across Europe, in which we'll discover clues, solve the mystery and practise our French. But this is not just a language lesson – it's a competition, and by taking part you could win some amazing prizes for French learners. For e…

1
1943 - Episode 20: Red Cross Rescue (SEASON FINALE) 40:08

8M ago40:08

40:08

The Camp hospital runs out of beds for dysentery patients. Bedie is discharged too early from the hospital causing Natalie and Jerry to question his health care. Food shortages reduce good pickings from the garbage as prisoners pray that the Red Cross Christmas kits will arrive from Manila. Nida’s world is turned upside down, and Camp Holmes gets a…

1
‘Oui' vs. 'si', 'aussi' vs. 'non plus' - What's the difference? | CBF Show 2.10 15:40

10M ago15:40

15:40

Are you able to express agreement or disagreement in French? In this episode of the Coffee Break French Show we learn more about the uses of 'pas moi', 'moi non'', 'moi si' and 'moi aussi'. Prefer to watch these lessons? You can do exactly that for free on Coffee Break TV, and download the episodes to your device so you can access them on the go. O…

1
1943 - Episode 19: Gaining and Losing Ground 36:08

10M ago36:08

36:08

America is gaining ground in the Pacific. The prisoners have more money for food, but it’s becoming scarcer and more expensive. Everyone’s health is declining. Natalie’s vitamin injection goes wrong. Carl returns from an inspection tour of internment camps in Manila with good news. Peg thinks that her husband will be transferred to Camp Holmes, and…

1
How to form and use the superlative in French | CBF Show 2.09 16:44

10M ago16:44

16:44

Have you ever wondered how to express "the most" and "the least" in French? If so then you're in the right place as we're covering this topic in episode 9 of the Coffee Break French Show. Tune in now to learn more about superlatives in French. Prefer to watch these lessons? You can do exactly that for free on Coffee Break TV, and download the episo…

1
1943 - Episode 18 Epilogue: Internment Survivor Interview, Part 2 26:32

10M ago26:32

26:32

In the second of three parts, 96-year-old Curt Brooks talks about life at Santo Tomas, a civilian internment camp in Manila which housed 3700 prisoners. In this segment, Curt describes his boyhood memories of imprisonment and survival—of sickness, starvation, friendship, life-saving Red Cross packages and looking down the barrel of a Japanese soldi…

1
1943 - Episode 18: Our Camp 33:38

10M ago33:38

33:38

The prisoners are finally allowed to send letters. As Natalie types for them, people pour their hearts out to loved ones at home. The increased clampdown on guerrilla activity affects Nida and Ismael living in Baguio. Peg misses her husband. A guard steps out of bounds at the women’s barracks. A friend dies. The Camp puts on two plays. NEW! You can…

1
Identifying forbidden liaisons in French | CBF Show 2.08 18:20

10M ago18:20

18:20

Do you find French liaison rules confusing? You are not alone! In this episode of The Coffee Break French Show we learn how to avoid the most common mistakes of forbidden liaisons! ➡️ Click here to access the blog article and worksheet that accompany this lesson ⬅️ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

1
1943 - Episode 17: We're in the Money! 40:42

10M ago40:42

40:42

With Japanese occupation money losing value and food shortages, internees take out promissory loans for American dollars after the war. It’s “spend it while you got it” around Camp, and those with money throw elaborate parties while other internees raise money by selling homemade goods at a Camp fair. The guards worry about their fates as they hear…

1
A guide to liaisons in French | CBF Show 2.07 14:41

10M ago14:41

14:41

Welcome to another episode of the Coffee Break French Show! This time, we're sharing a guide to liaisons in French. Liaisons are a crucial aspect of the language and play a key role in natural-sounding speech. If you would like to master them and sound like a native speaker then tune into this episode! Prefer to watch these lessons? You can do exac…

1
1943 - Episode 16 Epilogue: Interview with MacArthur Memorial Archivist 40:12

10M ago40:12

40:12

Historian and archivist, Jim Zobel talks from the MacArthur Memorial Library about the events in the first half of 1943 with General MacArthur inching closer to Japan. Find out what happened to the two generals in the Clark Field fiasco and hear how the larger-than-life personalities fighting WWII clashed to America’s advantage. Zobel uses “you can…

1
1943 - Episode 16: Social Studies 40:42

10M ago40:42

40:42

Natalie takes a closer look at everyone’s behavior in camp. New internees share unforgettable stories of heroism and evil. Peg hears word about her husband. The Crouters learn disturbing news about Nida and don’t like Bedie’s reaction to it. Natalie plays a curious round of bridge with Lt. Kira, and the Camp’s new Court of Appeals hears its first c…

1
Capital letters in French vs. English - 'français' or 'Français'? | CBF Show 2.06 10:12

10M ago10:12

10:12

If you've been learning French for some time then you'll now that the use of capital letters in French differs slightly from English. Do you know when and how to use them? Tune in to this episode to find out how you can improve your writing in French! Prefer to watch these lessons? You can do exactly that for free on Coffee Break TV, and download t…

1
Imperfect vs. perfect tense - French past tenses explained | CBF Show 2.05 8:35

11M ago8:35

8:35

Wondering when to use the imparfait vs. the passé composé in French, or how to combine both? Join us in this episode of the Coffee Break French Show to discover more about the past tense in French! Prefer to watch these lessons? You can do exactly that for free on Coffee Break TV, and download the episodes to your device so you can access them on t…

1
The agreement of the past participle in French | CBF Show 2.04 19:33

11M ago19:33

19:33

Do you understand the agreement of past participles in French? This can be quite confusing for learners so, in episode of the Coffee Break French Show, we explain the rules to follow, including the preceding direct object rule. Listen to the episode to find out more! Prefer to watch these lessons? You can do exactly that for free on Coffee Break TV…

1
‘Jouer à' or 'jouer de'? - The verb 'to play' in French | CBF Show 2.03 9:02

11M ago9:02

9:02

It's time for another episode of the Coffee Break French Show! Saying "to play" in French is not as simple as you might think. Join us in this episode to learn the difference between 'jouer à' and 'jouer de'! Prefer to watch these lessons? You can do exactly that for free on Coffee Break TV, and download the episodes to your device so you can acces…

1
‘Du', 'des', 'au' and 'aux' - How to choose and use these tricky words in French | CBF Show 2.02 11:55

11M ago11:55

11:55

Welcome to another episode from Season 2 of the Coffee Break French Show! Understanding French contractions can be tricky at times, so tune in to this episode to find out how you can make your learning of these tricky words a lot easier. Prefer to watch these lessons? You can do exactly that for free on Coffee Break TV, and download the episodes to…

1
When to use 'on' in French | CBF Show 2.01 13:39

12M ago13:39

13:39

In the first episode from our second season of the Coffee Break French Show, we're exploring the meaning of 'on' in French. Join Mark and Max to find out how to use this small but powerful pronoun in different situations. Prefer to watch these lessons? You can do exactly that for free on Coffee Break TV, and download the episodes to your device so …

1
1943 - Episode 15: Surrender and Suffrage 34:01

12M ago34:01

34:01

The Japanese order Arthur to hunt down an American hiding in the mountains. Newly captured Americans tell harrowing stories about their life on the run. Nida worries about Ismael. Lt. Mukibo and Mr. Nagatomi get their just rewards. Everyone speculates if Mr. Hayakawa will be replaced, and the women in Camp want the right to vote. NEW! You can view …

1
Introducing Season 2 of the Coffee Break French Show 1:18

12M ago1:18

1:18

We're back with Season 2 of the Coffee Break French Show! In this podcast series we help you take your intermediate French to the next level, one coffee break at a time. Throughout the 10-episode series we cover a range of topics to help you deepen your understanding of tricky grammar, broaden your vocabulary, and improve your pronunciation. You'll…

1
1943 - Episode 14: Going Bananas 30:24

1y ago30:24

30:24

Another year of close quarters has prisoners getting on each other’s nerves as they deal with new waves of dysentery. Stories are filtering in from captured internees who had been hiding in the mountains from the Japanese. Mr. Hayakawa is intimidated by a new guard who may be Kempeitai. Phil's brilliant, new invention keeps peace in the dining hall…

1
1943 - Binge Season Three (Episodes 14 - 20) 4:07:49

1y ago4:07:49

4:07:49

Includes all seven episodes in Season Three without the openings and recaps. NEW! You can view paintings and sketches drawn by people who were interned with Natalie by clicking See Pictures under the episode descriptions at www.storiestovoice.com/fd-listen-1943. To see the Forbidden Diary cast, go to www.storiestovoice.com/fd-cast. Support the show…

1
‘À cause de’ and ‘grâce à’ - What's the difference? | The Coffee Break French Show 1.10 12:02

1+ y ago12:02

12:02

Welcome to the 10th and final episode of the Coffee Break French Show! We're rounding off this series by exploring two phrases that French learners often mix up - à cause de and grâce à (both translated as: "because of" in English). Join us for this episode as we discuss the subtleties of these phrases and unravel the positive and negative nuances …

1
‘En’ or ‘à’? - Prepositions with countries and cities | The Coffee Break French Show 1.09 13:01

1+ y ago13:01

13:01

In our penultimate episode in this series of the Coffee Break French Show, we explore the nuances of using prepositions before cities, countries, islands, and continents. By the end of this episode you'll be able to use the correct prepositions in your French conversations. ➡️ Click here to access the blog article and worksheet that accompany this …

1
Practising when to use 'qui' and 'que' - Relative pronouns Part 2 | The Coffee Break French Show 1.08 12:38

1+ y ago12:38

12:38

Welcome back to The Coffee Break French Show! In our last episode we explained how to choose between 'qui' and 'que' in French. We're taking this a step further this time as we're putting what we learned into practice with some exercises of when to use these relative pronouns. Be sure to catch up on episode 7 before listening to this episode. ➡️ Cl…

1
‘Qui' or 'que'? - Relative pronouns Part 1 | The Coffee Break French Show 1.07 12:22

1+ y ago12:22

12:22

Have you ever wondered whether to use ‘qui’ or ‘que’? If so, then this episode of the Coffee Break French Show is for you! Join Mark and Max as they discuss the meaning of ‘qui’ and ‘que’ and how to choose between them when speaking French ➡️ Click here to access the blog article and worksheet that accompany this lesson ⬅️ Hosted on Acast. See acas…

1
How to pronounce ‘e’, ‘é’ and ‘è’ in French | The Coffee Break French Show 1.06 16:13

1+ y ago16:13

16:13

Join us for another episode of The Coffee Break French Show! In episode 6, we discuss how to pronounce the letter ‘e’ in all of its shapes and forms. By the end of this episode you'll sound more like a native French speaker! ➡️ Click here to access the blog article and worksheet that accompany this lesson ⬅️ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy f…

1
‘Jour’ and ‘journée’, ‘soir’ and ‘soirée’ - What's the difference? | The Coffee Break French Show 1.05 11:33

1+ y ago11:33

11:33

We're halfway through our series of The Coffee Break French Show! This time, we chat about the distinction between 'jour' & 'journée', as well as 'soir' & 'soirée', 'an' & 'année', and 'matin' & 'matinée'. By the end of this episode, you'll be able to use each of these words confidently and correctly in any situation that comes your way! ➡️ Click h…

1
Useful expressions with ‘avoir’ | The Coffee Break French Show 1.04 10:44

1+ y ago10:44

10:44

Do you know how to use avoir correctly in French? This verb can be tricky for French learners so in episode four of The Coffee Break French Show, Mark and Max discuss avoir and consider some common expressions where this verb is used. By the end of this episode you will know exactly when avoir is used differently from "to have" in English. ➡️ Click…

1
‘Tu’ and ‘vous’ - How to navigate informal and formal French | The Coffee Break French Show 1.03 10:56

1+ y ago10:56

10:56

In this episode of the Coffee Break French Show we help you choose between ‘tu’ and ‘vous’ so that you can navigate informal and and formal French. Mark and Max talk about the rules, exceptions, and social context that surrounds this choice, helping you communicate like a native speaker! ➡️ Click here to access the blog article and worksheet that a…

1
When do adjectives go before a noun? | The Coffee Break French Show 1.02 13:54

1+ y ago13:54

13:54

Knowing where to place adjectives in a sentence can be tricky - but fear not! By the end of this episode of the Coffee Break French Show, you'll be able to add depth to your French conversations and express your ideas more precisely, thanks to having a stronger understanding of the exceptions and nuances in adjective placement. ➡️ Click here to acc…

1
How to pronounce ‘u’ and ‘ou’ | The Coffee Break French Show 1.01 14:22

1+ y ago14:22

14:22

Welcome to our very first episode of the Coffee Break French Show! We're kicking off the series by talking about French vowel sounds. We share tips on how to pronounce 'u' and 'ou' accurately, and provide words and exercises to practise. Are you ready? C’est parti ! ➡️ Click here to access the blog article and worksheet that accompany this lesson ⬅…

1
Introducing the Coffee Break French Show 1:56

1+ y ago1:56

1:56

Welcome to our brand new podcast series - the Coffee Break French Show! Throughout this 10-episode series, Mark and Max will help you take your intermediate French to the next level, one coffee break at a time. We cover a range of topics to help you deepen your understanding of tricky grammar, broaden your vocabulary, and improve your pronunciation…

1
1942 - Episode 13 Epilogue: Interview with MacArthur Memorial Archivist 20:58

2y ago20:58

20:58

In this last interview, Jim Zobel shares fascinating insights about MacArthur’s first steps to liberate the Philippines—from the campaign in Papua New Guinea to making early radio contact with guerrillas in the Philippines. Zobel shares true, but unbelievable stories about guerrilla heroes and discusses the brutal Kempeitai, Imperial Japan’s milita…

1
1942 - Episode 13: Better and Lesser Angels 39:53

2y ago39:53

39:53

The holidays are celebrated in bittersweet, internment style. True friends come through. A little boy teaches the camp a lesson. Dysentery returns, and Dr. Hall is not sure how the internees will survive 1943. NEW! You can view paintings and sketches drawn by people who were interned with Natalie by clicking See Pictures under the episode descripti…

1
1942 - Episode 12: Lovers and Guerrillas 37:26

2y ago37:26

37:26

Bullets fly around Baguio and Camp Holmes as Filipino and Igorot guerrillas attack the Japanese. Natalie worries about Jerry’s depression. Additional co-mingling restrictions increase sexual tensions. NEW! You can view paintings and sketches drawn by people who were interned with Natalie by clicking See Pictures under the episode descriptions at ww…

1
1942 - Episode 11: Close Calls 31:53

2y ago31:53

31:53

As typhoon season begins Jerry is brought in for questioning. Nida and Ismael talk about guerrilla insurgencies. Natalie gets a tour of the camp's shop, a special gift, and called to the guard house. NEW! You can view paintings and sketches drawn by people who were interned with Natalie by clicking See Pictures under the episode descriptions at www…

1
The dangers of future-tripping (Encore episode) 33:37

2y ago33:37

33:37

Cheers to the present! We will never be able to tell the future, so why spend the energy worrying about it? In this episode of Thick & Thin, my goal is to stop wasting my time trying to control the narrative, but sometimes the anticipatory anxiety and endless what-ifs, win. Thanks to our sponsors! This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give onlin…

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