Feeling overwhelmed with your Italian studies? Books can provide the structure you need without breaking the bank! However, don’t expect a book to work magic on its own. To make real progress, it’s best to work with a tutor or attend a language school.
In my school, my students use a blend of three different books at every level, which has proven to be the sweet spot for effective language learning.
The Perfect Trio for A1 Level Italian Learners:
- Graded Reader (Short Story Book): A graded reader is a narrative specifically written for Italian learners. Extensive reading through these engaging stories helps consolidate the grammar you’ve learned and introduces new grammar and vocabulary within the context of a simple story.
- Textbook: Whether old school or not, a textbook is crucial for progressing through different levels, such as from A0 to A1 or A1 to A2. It provides a clear end goal (completing the book) and structured learning. While textbooks are more effective when used with a teacher, they can also be valuable for self-study.
- Workbook Focused on Grammar: If you’re like me, you’ll benefit from doing drills on verbs and conjugation to internalize fundamental grammar. A grammar workbook will be your lifelong companion, and it’s often best to have one in your native language for better understanding.
1. Due Amiche e Un Album di Fotografie
Graded Reader for Beginners
If you’ve studied Italian for just a few months, I recommend using this short story in VERY easy Italian, which uses the top 100 most common Italian words. Unlike many other similar products, this book is indeed geared towards beginners and upper-beginner Italian learners. Every chapter is bite-sized, and sentences are short enough not to feel bogged down. The book is also a bilingual language book (Italian-English) and is complemented by a set of recall exercises to reinforce what you’ve learned in the chapters. It’s set in scenic South Tyrol, one of most beautiful corners of Italy.
2. Le Avventure di Paul a Roma
Graded Reader for Beginners to Lower-Intermediate Learners
Le Avventure di Paul a Roma is a short story book set in Rome. Paul, the protagonist, goes on a one-week solo trip to the beautiful capital city of Italy. However, his life is turned upside down by an unexpected job offer. This book is a good fit for beginners, upper-beginners, and lower-intermediate learners. It features the most common Italian verbs and words you need at a beginner level, along with a set of retention activities at the end of each chapter and cultural insights to learn interesting facts about the city.
3. Easy Italian Step By Step
Italian Grammar Book for Beginners to Intermediate Learners
This is an excellent reference grammar book for both beginners and intermediate students of Italian, written in English. Whether you are just starting to learn Italian or have been studying for a while, this book will be a valuable companion. It provides clear grammar explanations in English for both beginners and intermediate topics, along with an extensive list of grammar exercises. Answer keys are also included at the end of the book.
4. Gramm.it for English Speakers
Italian Grammar Textbook for Beginners to Advanced Learners (A1-C1)
Gramm.it for English Speakers, is a beautifully designed grammar book that covers all essential grammar topics, from beginner to upper-intermediate levels (A1-C1). Each topic is presented clearly with charts and illustrations and is followed by a list of exercises. This book serves as an excellent reference for beginners and is equally great for intermediate learners seeking a go-to resource for refreshing and practicing specific grammar topics. Unlike many other Italian textbooks, this one provides prompts in English.
5. English Grammar for Students of Italian
Highly recommended for those struggling with all aspects of grammar. Perfect for complete beginners.
Is grammar painful? Then you must get this reference book, which has been designed to help English native speakers break down complex grammar topics (e.g., what’s a pronoun, a conjugation, or a preposition, etc.). This is a book that every English speaker with not-so-strong grammar foundations should get before embarking on the beautiful journey of learning Italian.
6. In Alto 1
Italian Textbook for Beginners (A1, A2)
In Alto A1 is a fantastic textbook for those who are just beginning to learn Italian. It includes dialogues, listening exercises, grammar lessons, and reading activities. Each unit touches on a different vocabulary topic and will gradually take you from level A1 (complete beginner) to level A2 (upper-beginner). It’s better to use it with a tutor, but you can still navigate the book on your own. This textbooks is entirely written in Italian, and includes a downloadable audio file.
Test Your Italian
Not sure what your Italian level is? I’ve created a free online Italian test to help you determine it.7. Praticamente Dimmi
Italian Workbook for Beginners and Lower-Intermediate Learners (A1-A2)
Praticamente dimmi… Esercizi e attività. Livello A1-A2 is an excellent resource for Italian learners at the beginner and elementary levels. This workbook offers a wide range of exercises and activities designed to reinforce fundamental language skills, including grammar, vocabulary, and sentence structure. The engaging exercises are tailored to the A1-A2 proficiency levels, making it an ideal companion for both classroom use and self-study. By working through the practical tasks in this book, learners can build a solid foundation in Italian and gain the confidence needed to progress to higher levels of fluency.
8. Le prime parole italiane
Vocabulary Textbook for Beginners (A1-A2)
This is an Italian book designed to help beginners acquire the most common Italian words. It includes exercises and answer keys. Unlike many other similar products, this one focuses on the 1000 high-frequency words and verbs. If you master how to use those, your conversational Italian will improve significantly.
9. 501 Italian Verbs
Italian Grammar Textbook for Verbs
Verbs are at the core of the Italian language as they provide direction to our sentences. Finding verb conjugation difficult? All you need is extensive practice, which this book provides. It’s not only meant for beginners but for all levels. Therefore, if you’re a beginner, try to focus only on verb tenses that are useful at your level (present tense, passato prossimo, imperfetto, future tense).
10. Come e perché
Grammar Drills Book for Beginner and Upper-Beginner Learners
Come e perché. Esercizi utili di italiano. Vol. 1 is perfect for strengthening your Italian skills at a beginner level. It offers a wide range of practical exercises with clear explanations and answer keys, focusing on essential grammar and vocabulary. Ideal for self-study, this book will help you build or consolidate your foundational Italian framework.
