Beginner's Italian: An Easy Introduction

by Vittoria Bowles

For those who find learning a new language daunting, the Teach Yourself Beginner's Language Series is just what the language teacher ordered. Each friendly and practical course introduces the new... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0844238015
• ISBN13: 9780844238012
• Release Date: January 1992
• Publisher: NTC/Contemporary Publishing Company
• Length: 213 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.1" x 7.8"

Customer Reviews

Great book for tourist level Italian.

I used this book to learn enough Italian to visit Italy twice, the second time living with Italian people who spoke not word one of English. It provided everything needed. It is a high school type approach with situation based lessons. The tapes are incidental, this is not a Berlitz course, the book provides the real teaching. If you have experience with language, understanding how to vocalize the printed word (Italian is very regular in pronunciation) you may not even need the tapes, but for a novice, better pop for them. It's very good. Meals, rooms, purchases, directions, all are included. Not an in depth course, but perfect for the traveler.

The guide for the complete novice in traveler's Italian.

My wife and I have visited Italy twice after I studied this book and this book only on Italian. It gives you all you need for the basics, hotels, meals, directions and chit chat. I have used the "Teach Yourself" guides for Beginner's French and Serbo-Croatian as well, with equally good results. For the money, and the time that you are asked to invest to receive the rudiments of the language, you will do no better. Recommended as a guide to traveler's Italian, a detailed study of the language should be pursued with the more sophisticated guide named simply Teach Yourself - Italian.

Don't believe the first review!

I could not believe the first review listed, rating this book as a 1 star, viewed as helpful by 13 of 19 people. Having only studied this book, I went to Italy and with no tour guide or any other help made arrangements to go all over Italy, bought tickets, meals, conversed did it all with no help. This is a great book. I have used "Teach Yourself" Italian, French, and Croatian and gone to those countries and had a blast. They are great guides. The objection that the words weren't "phoneticised" is lunacy for anyone who knows that Italian pronunciation is very standard and a brief guide is all that is needed. Here is a hint if you are having trouble: write the pronunciations on a 3 x 5 card and use it as a bookmark, DUH! If you study this book and you have the initiative to copy the pronunciation onto a 3x5 card, Lei puo andare in Italia domani. Capisce?

Great for beginners and those who need a refresher.

I would've given this five stars had some of the exercises been a bit more thorough and dealt with the more necessary elements needed for to develop a beginner's level of skill. In fact, none of the books I've tried have properly accomplished that, but this one does a better job than most and is especially good for someone learning on his/her own.

Good beginner's guidebook

This book is a very good beginner's guidebook to the Italian language. The format is organized in logical sequence, building upon knowledge gained from previous chapters. The explainations are clear and concise. I found it to be very helpful in my quest to learn Italian.