“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!
Lists It Appears On:
“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.”
Lists It Appears On:
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.
Lists It Appears On:
“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.”
Lists It Appears On:
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
Lists It Appears On:
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.
Lists It Appears On:
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.
Lists It Appears On:
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.
Lists It Appears On:
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.
Lists It Appears On:
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.
Lists It Appears On:
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.
Lists It Appears On:
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.
Lists It Appears On:
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.
# | 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 |
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…) |
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