On this page, you will find all kinds of Italian books, course books and textbooks for beginners.
If you are asking yourself any the following questions…
- What is the best book to learn Italian on my own?
- What Italian textbook should I buy?
- What are the best Italian textbooks for use in a classroom?
… then you will find your answer on this page. Read on and start learning Italian today!
Italian textbooks for classroom use
These Italian textbooks are designed to be used with other people as they contain many exercises that require a speaking partner. They are intended to be used with a teacher and are not as suitable for self-study.
The Nuovo Espresso series is pretty much your vanilla language textbook: the books are divided into sections, each containing a number of words to learn, exercises, and grammar explanations.
As said, these books are not good for learning Italian on your own, but they are GREAT for learning Italian with a 1-on-1 tutor or in a classroom. The instructions for all the exercises are in Italian (the books are monolingual) and you will not be able to do some of the exercises on your own as they require you to work with a classmate.
Also, the CDs are sold separately, so make sure you don’t miss them.
Italian textbooks for self-study
Below are two Italian textbooks and manuals that are intended for self-study, giving you everything you need to learn the language on your own and at your own pace.
Metodo Natura 1
L’Italiano secondo il Metodo Natura 1 by Dwane Thomas is the first of a three-book installment that teaches you Italian through texts of increasing difficulty. It doesn’t come with a CD, so you will need another resource to practice your Italian listening skills.
Basic Italian grammar
Basic Italian: A Grammar and Workbook is a reference manual covering the basic grammar rules you need to know as a beginner of Italian. It delivers concice but clear explanations along with exercises you can do to test your skills. Answer key is provided!
Books for beginners
Alice nel Paese delle Meraviglie
This is a dual language book that offers the original English version of Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll side-by-side with the original Italian translation by T. Pietrocola-Rosetti. To help you red this book, you will also find an alphabetical learner’s dictionary in the back.
Short Stories for Beginners
Short Stories in Italian for Beginners is a graded reader featuring a collection of eight short stories for young and adult students from beginner to intermediate level. Genres are diverse – from science fiction to crime, from history to thriller to accomodate all tastes!
➡️ Having trouble reading books in Italian? Learn how to read books in Italian with ease!