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In the latest episode, host Rachel Loxton is joined by regular panelists Sarah Magill and Aaron Burnett as well as Germany sports correspondent for AFP, Dan Wighton.

We start off by talking about a regional holiday in the eastern state of Saxony.

We then move onto breaking down how rising consumer prices are affecting daily life in Germany, particularly at the supermarket, and talk about why the inflation rate of around 10 percent actually feels a lot higher. 

• Which everyday German products are increasing the most in price?

Sarah shares some tips on how to save money when shopping, and the team reveal their favourite supermarket (please let us know your German supermarket of choice in the comments below!) 

• 10 ways to save money on your groceries in Germany 

We talk about why the German government’s plans to overhaul unemployment benefits with a new system called Bürgergeld – or citizens’ allowance’ – have hit a massive hurdle. 

• Will Germany’s controversial Bürgergeld still come into force?
• Bürgergeld – What to know about Germany’s unemployment benefits shake-up

We have an update on the Covid situation in Germany, and look at why rules are beginning to change in some places. 

• Will Germany get rid of Covid-19 masks?
• Two German states stop enforcing mandatory Covid-19 isolation 

Next we talk about the German reaction to the FIFA World Cup being hosted in Qatar. Germany sports correspondent Dan Wighton, who is covering the event, talks about boycotts by some German bars, how fans are feeling and gives us the lowdown on how the German team or Die Mannschaft – is looking ahead of the competition. 

Lastly we talk about the stages of learning German that foreigners go through, and share what the results of a new survey tell us about how well Germans speak English. 

• The seven stages of learning German that every foreigner goes through
• Germans score very high on English proficiency 

We hope you’re enjoying the Germany in Focus podcast. Please let us know if you found it helpful or if you have any feedback by emailing [email protected]. And don’t forget to share it, leave a comment or give us a rating on whichever platform you listen on. Danke!