Italy

The Best Books For Learning Italian

“What are the best books for learning Italian?” We looked at 85 different titles, aggregating and ranking the entries in an attempt to answer that very question!

Part 6 of our Italy week is the best books to learn Italian!

The lists we made are:

Below you can find the top 12 books, all appearing on 2 or more lists, with images, summaries, and links. The remaining books, as well as the articles we used are at the bottom of the page.

Happy Scrolling!



The Top Books To Read When Learning Italian



12 .) 501 Italian Verbs by John Colaneri & Vincent Luciani

Lists It Appears On:

  • Omniglot
  • Italy Chronicles

“The bestselling 501 Verbs Series is the #1 reference source for verb usage in virtually every major language. It’s printed in two colors, features tinted page edges for ease of reference, and comes with extra help for students in the form of a CD-ROM.
This edition presents the most important and most commonly used Italian verbs arranged alphabetically with English translations in chart form, one verb per page, and conjugated in all persons and tenses, both active and passive. The accompanying CD-ROM gives students extra practice with crossword puzzles and games.
This combined book and software package is a comprehensive guide to verb usage with a wealth of reference material and language tips, including a bilingual list of more than 1,250 additional Italian verbs, helpful expressions and idioms for travelers, and verb drills and short tests with all questions answered and explained.”

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11 .) English Grammar for Students of Italian by Sergio Adorni and Karen Primorac

Lists It Appears On:

  • Italy Chronicles
  • Fluent U

Each chapter covers a grammar point: i.e., a part of speech (noun, verb, pronoun), a word’s function in a sentence (subject, direct object, indirect object), a grammatical term (tense, conjugation, gender, agreement). Each chapter is divided into two sections. 1. In English: grammar is explained as it relates to English, anticipating concepts necessary for Italian. 2. In Italian: grammar is explained as it relates to Italian, with examples and explanations of the rules applied. Points out similarities, differences, and alerts students to pitfalls. Available online: 1. Review booklet with Answer key 2. Correlation to Oggi in Italia indicating the pages to be read in preparation for each lesson. This self-study guide is part of the O&H Study Guide series for students of foreign languages. Experience has shown that students using the O&H Italian Study Guide improve their performance in Italian grammar thanks to a better understanding of English grammar. Teachers can devote more class time to developing communicative skills.

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10 .) First Italian Reader: A Beginner’s Dual-Language Book (Dover Dual Language Italian) by Stanley Appelbaum

Lists It Appears On:

  • Italian Brave Heart
  • Italianolingo

“Beginning students of Italian language and literature will welcome this bilingual anthology edited especially for their needs. Ranging from the fourteenth to the twentieth centuries, it features the works of Dante, Boccaccio, Pirandello, and fifty-two others in both the original Italian and expert English translations on the facing pages. Selections include excerpts from poetry, fiction, history, and philosophy.
This is a “”first reader”” in the sense of its introduction to Italian literature from the 1300s to the 1920s. A solid background in Italian grammar is necessary for the fullest appreciation of the original text. The excerpts are unadulterated, not retold or simplified. Readers can sample the works of men renowned for other talents, such as Michelangelo and Galileo, and discover the original language of The Decameron, The Prince, and even Pinocchio. This self-contained anthology can be used with or without an instructor. It will thrill anyone seeking a fast-paced survey of a vital body of literature from one of the world’s greatest cultural legacies.”

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9 .) Italian Grammar (Barron’s Grammar Series) by Marcel Danesi

Lists It Appears On:

  • Take Lessons
  • Fluent U 2

Titles in Barron’s Grammar series are small in size but filled with helpful fast-reference information for language students and translators. Barron’s Italian Grammar makes a handy supplement to classroom textbooks. Topics covered include parts of speech, sentence structure, punctuation, idioms, and advice on pronunciation. Books in this series are printed in two colors to highlight important study points and help students find specific information quickly and easily

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8 .) Italian Short Stories: Racconti Italiano by Nick Roberts

Lists It Appears On:

  • Italian Brave Heart
  • Italianolingo

Including stories by Calvino, Benni, Sciascia and Levi, this volume gives a fascinating insight into Italian culture and literature as well as providing an invaluable educational tool.

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7 .) Italian: A Self-Teaching Guide by Edoardo A. Lèbano

Lists It Appears On:

  • Italy Chronicles
  • Take Lessons

Learn Italian the quick and easy way! Whether you re learning Italian for the first time or just brushing up on your skills, this updated edition of the bestselling Italian: A Self-Teaching Guide is the ideal way to master the language at your own pace. In fifteen simple lessons, you ll learn how to engage in everyday conversations from ordering at a restaurant to asking for directions to making special arrangements with a hotel concierge. Written in a lively, personable style by a native Italian, this practical guide combines the quick-reference virtues of a phrasebook with the learning tools of a full-fledged language course. Designed to acquaint you with the basic skills you need to speak, read, write, and understand the language, Italian: A Self-Teaching Guide, Second Edition demystifies grammar, common usage, and pronunciation with step-by-step lessons on numbers, days of the week, telling time, and special rules of speech. It also includes extensive vocabulary and culture notes. Mini-dialogues from real-life situations provide a vibrant introduction to Italian culture and customs while a fun assortment of exercises, self-tests, and practice activities constantly reinforces your reading and conversational skills.

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6 .) Mastering Italian Vocabulary: A Thematic Approach by Luciana Feinler-Torriani and Gunter Klemm

Lists It Appears On:

  • Take Lessons
  • Italy Chronicles

This Italian word-power builder presents more than 5,000 words and phrases with translations into English. The feature that makes this vocabulary book distinctive is the way words are divided into themes, grouped together so that the foreign traveler or language student can find words related by subject. The subject themes include business terms, medical terms, household terms, scientific words and phrases, units of measurement, clothing, food and dining, transportation, art and culture— 24 separate themes in all.

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5 .) Read and Think Italian with Audio CD (Read & Think) by The Editors of Think Italian! Magazine

Lists It Appears On:

  • Italian Brave Heart
  • Italianolingo

Read & Think Italian is an innovative, non-intimidating approach to learning Italian. Compiled by the expert editors of Think Italian! magazine, this audio package brings together more than 100 engaging, fully illustrated readings and articles about the life and culture of Italy. The 70-minute audio CD features many of the articles read aloud by native speakers, as well as questions for review and reinforcement of new vocabulary.

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4 .) Rick Steve’s Italian Phrase Book & Dictionary by Rick Steves

Lists It Appears On:

  • Fluent U
  • Via Fontanelle

Buon giorno! From ordering calamari in Venice to making new friends in Tuscan hill towns, it helps to speak some of the native tongue. Rick Steves, bestselling author of travel guides to Europe, offers well-tested phrases and key words to cover every situation a traveler is likely to encounter. This handy guide provides key phrases for use in everyday circumstances, complete with phonetic spelling, an English-Italian and Italian-English dictionary, the latest information on European currency and rail transportation, and even a tear-out cheat sheet for continued language practice as you wait in line at the Sistine Chapel. Informative, concise, and practical, Rick Steves’ Italian Phrase Book and Dictionary is an essential item for any traveler’s zainetto.

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3 .) Soluzioni! : A Practical Guide to Italian Grammar by Denise De Rôme & Paola Tite

Lists It Appears On:

  • Omniglot
  • Fluent U

Focusing on the essentials, Soluzioni! is an accessible grammar guide for all beginners of Italian. This comprehensive handbook provides Italian grammar-at-a-glance, using numerous tables to help facilitate learning and reviewing. Complemented by an appealing visual layout, Soluzioni! uses real language examples to help expand students’ vocabulary knowledge, while plenty of varied and imaginative exercises show how the grammar works in practice.

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2 .) Easy Italian Reader by Riccarda Saggese

Lists It Appears On:

  • Fluent U
  • Italian Brave Heart
  • Italianolingo
  • Italy Chronicles

Easy Italian Reader Premium is based on the premise that the best way to learn a language is to start reading it, immediately. Suitable for raw beginners to intermediate-level language learners, the new premium edition of this bestselling title features engaging readings of progressive difficulty that allow you to rapidly build comprehension. Available online the flashcard sets of new vocabulary for every reading and a 1,500 entry digital glossary.

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1 .) Practice Makes Perfect: Complete Italian Grammar by Marcel Danesi

Lists It Appears On:

  • Take Lessons
  • Fluent U
  • Omniglot
  • Italy Chronicles

The only way to boost your confidence in a second language is to practice, practice, practice. From the present tense of regular verbs to direct object pronouns, this comprehensive guide and workbook covers all aspects of Italian grammar that you need to master.Focusing on the practical aspects of Italian as it’s really spoken, each unit features clear explanations, numerous realistic examples, and lots of engaging exercises.

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The Remaining Best Books For Learning Italian



 

# Book Author Lists
(Books Appear On 1 List each)
13 15-Minute Italian DK
14 A Reference Grammar of Modern Italian (Routledge Reference Grammars) Fluent U
15 Alice in Wonderland / Alice nel Paese delle Meraviglie Italian Brave Heart
16 Am I small? Io sono piccola? Italian Brave Heart
17 Basic Italian Conversation Fluent U
18 Better Reading Italian Fluent U
19 Can you describe this photograph in Italian? Italy Chronicles
20 Colloquial Italian – The Complete Course for Beginners Sylvia Lymbery Omniglot
21 Colloquial Italian 2: The Next Step in Language Learning Sylvia Lymbery and Sandra Silipo Omniglot
22 Complete Italian: Beginner to Intermediate Course (Teach Yourself) Fluent U
23 Complete Language Pack Italian DK
24 Contemporary Italian Women Poets: A Bilingual Anthology Fluent U
25 Cool Kids Speak Italian Joanne Leyland Italian Brave Heart
26 Damnatio Memoriae: A Play Fluent U
27 Dirty Italian: Everyday Slang from “What’s Up?” to “F*%# Off! Gabrielle Euvino Fluent U 2
28 Elmer’s Friends (Elmer Board Books) Italian Brave Heart
29 Essential Italian Grammar Take Lessons
30 Everyday Words Flashcards: Italian Italian Brave Heart
31 Express Track to Italian: 2 books Marina Fardeghini and Paola Niggi. Smart Phrase
32 First Thousand Words in Italian Heather Amery Italian Brave Heart
33 Glossika Italian Glossika Omniglot
34 How to learn Italian : language books – ’La Bella Lingua’ Explore Italian Culture
35 Hugo In Three Months: Italian DK
36 Italian All-in-One For Dummies Italy Chronicles
37 Italian DeMYSTiFieD Italy Chronicles
38 Italian English Bilingual Visual Dictionary DK
39 Italian for Beginners (Language Guides) Angela Wilkes Italian Brave Heart
40 Italian For Children Catherine Bruzzone Italian Brave Heart
41 Italian for Children (Language for Children Series) Italian Brave Heart
42 Italian for Dummies Explore Italian Culture
43 Italian Made Simple Cristina Mazzoni Fluent U 2
44 Italian Minidictionary Oxford University Press Omniglot
45 Italian Phrase Book DK
46 Italian Survival Guide Elizabeth Bingham Via Fontanelle
47 Italian Through Film: The Classics Italy Chronicles
48 Italian Verb Drills Italy Chronicles
49 Italian Verb Tenses: Fully Conjugated Verbs Marcel Danesi Fluent U 2
50 Italian verbs Explore Italian Culture
51 Italian Visual Phrase DK
52 Italian Visual Phrase Book DK
53 Italian Vocabulary SparkNotes Study Cards Italy Chronicles
54 Just Listen ‘N Learn Italian: The Basic Course for Succeeding in Italian and Communicating With Confidence Giovanni Carsaniga and Brian Hill. Smart Phrase
55 Learn in Your Car: Italian Italy Chronicles
56 Learn Italian Marcel Danesi and Heywood Wald Smart Phrase
57 Learn Italian II Parallel Text Italy Chronicles
58 Learn Italian in the Kitchen: A Parent-Child Activity Kit Tiziana Serafini and Helga Schier. Smart Phrase
59 Learn Italian in your Car: Complete Language Course: Levels 1, 2, and 3 Henry N. Raymond and Ester Pavelko Smart Phrase
60 Learn Italian in your Car: Level 1 Henry N. Raymond and Ester Pavelko. Smart Phrase
61 Learn Italian in your Car: Level 2 Smart Phrase
62 Learn Italian in your Car: Level 3 Henry N. Raymond and Ester Pavelko. Smart Phrase
63 Learn Italian Together: For the Car Marie-Claire Antoine and Tiziana Serafini. Smart Phrase
64 Learn Italian: Idiomatic Expressions Italy Chronicles
65 Learning Italian in Italy: The Essential Guide to the Best Language Schools and Universities in Italy Louise Read and Simon Read Omniglot
66 Let’s Learn Italian Coloring Book Anne-Francoise Hazzan and Minerva Figueroa Smart Phrase
67 Let’s Learn Italian: Multimedia Picture Dictionary Smart Phrase
68 Listen and Learn Italian Smart Phrase
69 Living Language Italian, Complete Edition Living Language Fluent U 2
70 Michel Thomas’ Italian language lesson Explore Italian Culture
71 My First Bilingual Book – Animals Italian Brave Heart
72 Oxford-Paravia Italian Dictionary Oxford University Press Omniglot
73 Practice Makes Perfect Italian Problem Solver: With 80 Exercises (Practice Makes Perfect series) Italy Chronicles
74 Practice Makes Perfect Italian Pronouns And Prepositions Italy Chronicles
75 Practice Makes Perfect Italian Sentence Builder (Practice Makes Perfect Series) Italy Chronicles
76 Practice Makes Perfect Italian Vocabulary Daniela Gobetti Fluent U 2
77 Practice Makes Perfect: Italian Conversation (Practice Makes Perfect Series) Italy Chronicles
78 Short Stories in Italian (New Penguin Parallel Texts) Fluent U
79 Speak in a Week! 1 Italy Chronicles
80 Streetwise Italian Dictionary/Thesaurus Fluent U
81 The Berlitz Italian Pocket Dictionary Via Fontanelle
82 The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Learning Italian Fluent U
83 Tutti insieme!: Part 2: Workbook Italian Brave Heart
84 Ultimate Italian: Learn at Home and on the Go Michael Lettieri, Salvatore Bancheri, Maria Iocco, and Lucy Di Rosa Smart Phrase
85 Webster’s New World Italian Dictionary: Italian/English Italy Chronicles


The Top Italian Phrase and Word Dictionary Lists



Source Article
DK ITALIAN
Explore Italian Culture Learn Italian : language books and audio – we review the best
Fluent U Find Your Book: 14 Great Learning Books to Suit Any Italian Student
Fluent U 2 6 Great Textbooks for Learning Italian Inside and Out
Italian Brave Heart Best books for adults (and for kids) when learning Italian
Italianolingo Best books when learning Italian
Italy Chronicles Learning Italian? Here are 20 Books to Help You
Omniglot Italian language learning materials
Smart Phrase LANGUAGE LEARNING (Books for teaching yourself Italian)
Take Lessons Top 5 Italian Books for Learning Grammar and Vocabulary
Via Fontanelle Best Books About Italy (In My Opinion, Anyway…)

 

A.M. Anderson

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A.M. Anderson

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