Italian Language Books, Audio CDs for Self Study, Textbooks
1. Colloquial Italian: Complete Language Course, by Sylvia Lymbery, Audio Cassette: 322 page Book, Publisher: Routledge
Easy to use and completely up-to-date. Specially written by an experienced teacher for self-study or class use, the course offers you a step-by-step approach to written and spoken Italian. No prior knowledge of the language is required. It's interactive - lots of exercises for regular practice; has clear, concise grammar notes; useful vocabulary and pronunciation guide; answer key and special reference section. Cassettes accompany the course to help you with listening and pronunciation skills. By the end of this rewarding course you will be able to communicate confidently and effectively in a broad range of situations.
2. Rick Steves' Italian Phrase Book and Dictionary, by Rick Steves, Paperback: 224 pages, Publisher: Avalon Travel
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.
3. Speak Italian With Michel Thomas, Audio CD, Publisher: McGraw-Hill
Listeners learn in real time, fully understanding as they go along, turning words into short sentences, and then building them into longer, more complex sentences, until they are conversing in Italian.
4. Basic Italian : CD/Book Package, by Living Language, Ana Suffredini (Editor)
A complete, step-by-step guide to the basics of Italian conversation and grammar. This revised course uses the highly effective speed-learning method developed by U.S. government experts to teach foreign languages to overseas-bound servicemen and diplomats. Begin with simple words and phrases and progress to more complex expressions. Just listen and repeat after the native speakers. Only Italian is spoken on the recordings, so you learn naturally, the way you learned English. The accompanying Italian coursebook includes the English translations. Italian-English/English-Italian Dictionary with more than 15,000 words are defined, idiomatic expressions and common phrases.
5. Teach Yourself Italian: Complete Audio CD Program, by Lydia Vellaccio, Maurice Elston, Paperback, Publisher: McGraw-Hill
Begins with the basics and gradually promotes the student to a level of smooth and confident communication, including: Up-to-date, graded interactive dialogues; Graded units of culture notes, grammar, and exercises; Step-by-step guide to pronunciation; Practical vocabulary; Regular and irregular verb tables; Plenty of practice exercises and answers; Self-assessment quizzes to test progress; Bilingual glossary.
6. Essential Italian Grammar (Paperback) by Olga Ragusa, Paperback: 111 pages, Dover
Very useful manual presents all the Italian really needed in everyday life and contemporary situations, without trivia or archaic material. Clearly presented with many shortcuts and timesavers, it is an ideal supplement to a phrase or record course, and the most efficient system for adults with limited learning time.
7. Italian Grammar (Paperback) by Marcel Danesi, Paperback: 256 pages, Publisher: Barron's
Topics covered include parts of speech, sentence structure, punctuation, idioms, and pronunciation advice. This new edition of Italian Grammar is printed in two colors to emphasize important study points and help students find specific information more quickly and easily.
8. Modern Italian Grammar Workbook, by Anna Proudfoot, Francesco Cardo, Paperback: 128 pages, Publisher: Routledge
An innovative book of exercises and language tasks for all learners of Italian. The book is divided into three sections: Part I provides exercises based on essential grammatical structures, Part II practices everyday functions such as making introductions and expressing needs, Part III contains realistic role plays in short scenes, set in a range of different contexts. With a comprehensive answer key at the back of the book, ideal for all learners who have a basic knowledge of Italian. It can be used independently or alongside Modern Italian Grammar, also published by Routledge.
9. Mastering Italian Vocabulary: A Thematic Approach, by Luciana Feinler-Torriani, Gunter H. Klemm, Paperback: 432 pages, Publisher: Barron's
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. The new second edition has been expanded and updated with increased vocabulary.
10. Ultimate Italian: Basic-Intermediate Italian by Salvatore Bancheri, Textbook and Audio CD, Publisher: Living Language
Combines conversation with grammar and culture in an easy-to-follow, enjoyable, and effective format. 40 lessons with lively, authentic dialogues; vocabulary, grammar, and usage; exercises. Also: a complete grammar summary with verb conjugations; business and social letter writing; Italian-English / English-Italian glossary; an English-speaking instructor that guides you through each lesson on CD.
11. Webster's New World Italian Dictionary: Italian/English, English/Italian, by Catherine E. Love, Paperback: 1032 pages, Publisher: Webster's
Compiled in collaboration with a team of expert linguists, this book has over 100,000 contemporary words and phrases giving wide-ranging coverage of current terms and expressions. Also: Detailed definitions so the user can understand and translate idiomatically; Extensive examples of usage; Verb tables, including irregular verbs; Cross-references from every verb to the appropriate verb table.