Reading in Italian is a great way to practice.
It helps you pick up lots of new words and phrases and you don’t need an advanced level to start reading. But it’s only useful if you choose the right kind of books.
You want to avoid books that leave you feeling stuck or bored, or that teach you Italian that you’ll never use!
In this post, we’ll share what to do (and what not to do) to make sure that your time spent reading in Italian is really enjoyable and effective.
Choose Simple Books
If you look up the best books to read in Italian, you’ll often get a list of books that are written for Italians, not with Italian learners in mind. This means that the vocabulary and grammar in these books is really challenging.
Some of these books are also Italian classics which were written a long time ago, meaning that the language is outdated and not very useful for your next trip to Italy.
Instead, some genres that work well (depending on your level) are:
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Stories written for Italian learners (You can find lots of options by searching online for something like “Short Stories for Italian Learners”)
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Dual language books
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Biographies (the language is simpler and more related to everyday topics.)
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Self-help books (they tend to have a more conversation style. For example Marie Kondo’s books, translated into Italian of course, can also work well for self-help books.)
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Comics like Topolino (Mickey Mouse) can be great too. The stories are short, the language is more up-to-date, and the pictures help you figure out what’s going on, even if you don’t catch every word.
Pick Books You Actually Want to Read
Learning Italian doesn’t mean you have to force yourself through difficult or boring books. You should choose something that you enjoy instead.
When you’re interested in the story, you’re far more likely to stay engaged and actually learn from it.
Even if it’s a light read, like a romance novel or a book aimed at teenagers, it can still be great for learning. In fact, books for young adults or “cheesy” fiction by authors like Fabio Volo are often perfect: the language is accessible, the topics are modern, and the tone is casual.
At our online Italian school , we’ve noticed that learners get way more out of the short stories that we create. They’re not dry or textbook-y, they’ve got real conversations and words that are useful in real-life situations. Most importantly, we try to make them fun!
Resist the Urge to Translate Every Word
If you try and look up every word, it can feel a bit tedious, plus it interrupts the flow of your reading. Just focus on getting a general sense for what’s going on instead.
And if something doesn’t make sense right away, non ti preoccupare, don’t worry! It's still useful practice because you’re soaking up the language.
If you do want to check some vocabulary, try underlining new words as you go, and look them up at the end of the chapter or page. Another idea is to use a sheet of paper as a segnalibro (bookmark) and jot down unfamiliar words there. That way, you're not constantly stopping and starting.
Some learners also like to create quick flashcards of the new words they’ve come across. You can keep them in your bag and flip through them when you’ve got a spare minute.
And if you’re reading on a Kindle, you can tap on a word to get the translation straight away. There are also browser extensions, like Google Translate for Chrome, that let you click on a word in online articles or blogs to see its meaning instantly.
Re-Read Books You’ve Already Read
If you already have a more intermediate Italian level, you can re-read books you’ve read in your own language.
Since you’re already familiar with the story, you don’t have to worry about trying to follow the plot and can focus instead of picking up new Italian words and phrases.
Use AudioBooks
You can read the physical book while listening to the audiobook. It’s a great way to immerse yourself in Italian words and phrases, and it helps you get used to the natural speed and sound of the language.
The more you hear Italian, the easier it is to start imitating. Some learners try a technique called shadowing: listen to a sentence, pause, and repeat it out loud, so you can copy the pronunciation and rhythm.
It can help to use headphones with a pause button, so you can quickly stop and replay tricky parts without losing your place.
Learn Italian with Italian Books: What (Not) to Do : Review
Now you have a list of tips for what kind of books you should and shouldn’t read in Italian. Let’s review what we’ve covered
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Choose Simple Books
Pick books written for learners or books with simpler language instead of challenging native-level texts.
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Pick Books You Actually Want to Read
Choose Italian books you enjoy to stay motivated and learn more effectively.
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Resist the Urge to Translate Every Word
Don’t get stuck looking up every word. Use context clues to keep the flow going.
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Re-Read Books You’ve Already Read
Re-reading familiar stories helps you focus on new vocabulary without worrying about the plot.
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Use Audiobooks
Listening to audiobooks while reading helps you get used to Italian pronunciation and natural speed.
K: Ciao a tutti e benvenuti! Hi everyone and welcome to “Learn Italian with Joy of Languages”.
M: Is reading books in Italian actually helpful or not? I think reading is one of the most effective and enjoyable ways to learn a language, but only if you avoid a few common mistakes.
K: In this episode, we’re sharing four things students often do when they start reading that, in our experience, make reading practice less effective. And what you can do instead to enjoy reading and learn Italian at the same time.
Before we get started on what those mistakes are, can we ask you a quick favore? If you’re listening to this on your podcast app, could you click the subscribe or follow button? This way you’ll get notified when we release a new episode and you’ll help our podcast grow so we can keep making free lessons like this. Grazie!
M: When we share the common mistakes to avoid, we’ll share our tips in Italian, so you can hear some Italian words together with our practical advice.
K: The first mistake that learners make is:
M: Leggono libri scritti per italiani - They read books written for Italians
Leggono - they read
Libri - books
Scritti - written
Per - for
Italiani - Italians
Leggono libri scritti per italiani
K: If you do a quick internet search for books in Italian, you’ll often see the classics come up first. These books might be famous and interesting, but they weren’t written for language learners, they were written for Italians, so they can be really challenging.
M: In fact, even Italians find these books really difficult. We study them at school because there are lots of things that need explaining in more detail.
K: And because a lot of these books were written a long time ago, they talk about things that aren’t connected to modern life, or they use old-fashioned language that you won’t need for your next trip to Italy.
M: Like talking about plagues, which is the sort of topic we think you probably won’t need to talk about at the airport.
K: If you’re at a higher level and ready to try reading books meant for native speakers, a good place to start is with biographies or how-to books. The language tends to be more straightforward and less flowery or descriptive. For example, you could read Marie Kondo books translated into Italian.
M: Another tip is to use a kindle or tablet, so you can tap on important words to see the translations. Don’t do this with every word though as it will interrupt your flow, more on this soon!
K: Comic books can be another good option because the pictures help you understand the story even if you don’t know every word.
M: But if you have a lower level, don’t worry if you find these kinds of books overwhelming. That’s very normal! You might want to start with short stories created especially for beginner learners, which can help you build confidence and vocabulary bit by bit.
K: Another mistake that lots of students make is:
M: Cercano tutte le parole - They look up all the words. Literally:
Cercano - they search
Tutte - all
Le - the
Parole - words
Cercano tutte le parole
K: It’s tempting to look up every word that you don’t know when you come across them, but it really interrupts the flow of your reading.
M: Instead, focus on trying to get the general gist. That way you can enjoy it rather than interrupting your reading each time and making it feel like a chore.
K: If you do want to look up some words, try using a sheet of paper as a bookmark. As you read, use it to jot down any unfamiliar words and you can look them up later. Or you can underline words with a pencil.
M: If you don’t want to spend loads of time trying to understand every word to follow the story, you can also read a book that you’ve already read in your own language. That way you already know what happens in the story and you can just focus on absorbing new words as you read them.
K: The third mistake that students make is:
M: Scelgono libri per bambini - They choose children’s books. Literally:
Scelgono - they choose
Libri - books
Per - for
Bambini - children
Scelgono libri per bambini
K: You’d think children’s books would be really simple, but the language can actually be quite hard. They’re written for Italian children who already speak the language, so there’s no effort to make the grammar or vocabulary learner-friendly.
M: And children’s books often include words you won’t need to get around Italy, like coccinella, which is Italian for “ladybug”, or ranocchio , which is Italian for “little frog”.
K: The fourth mistake that lots of students make is:
M: Leggono storie noiose - They read boring stories. Literally:
Leggono - they read
Storie - stories
Noiose - boring
K: Don’t feel that because you’re learning a language, studying has to be boring.
M: The more you enjoy what you’re reading, the more likely it is to stick.
K: At our online Italian school, we really focus on making our stories enjoyable, especially for lower levels, where it can be harder to find things to read. They’re not dry or textbook-y, they’ve got real conversations and words that are useful in real-life situations. I think enjoying what you’re doing is very helpful when learning Italian.
M: You’ve just heard a few tips to help make sure reading in Italian is enjoyable and useful, so you’re actually learning new words and phrases instead of just scanning the page and feeling frustrated.
K: Let’s review the common mistakes that students make again. We’ll repeat the Italian phrases you heard earlier, so you get another chance to hear them. See if you can remember what they mean.
M: Leggono libri scritti per italiani (x2)
[...]
K: This means “they read books written for Italians”. If you’re just starting to read, try books designed for learners, not books meant for native speakers.
M: What would it mean if we said cercano tutte le parole ? (2)
[...]
K: This means “they look up all the words”. Instead of interrupting your reading each time, which can become a bit tedious, focus on getting the general gist.
M: What about scelgono libri per bambini?
[...]
K: They choose books for children. Children’s books are surprisingly difficult and include words that you won’t need for your trip around Italy.
M: Last one. What does it mean if we say leggono storie noiose ?
[...]
K: They read boring stories. Enjoying what you’re reading will help you do more of it, which really is the secret to learning Italian, spending lots of time doing it!
In this episode we’ve focused on common mistakes when it comes to reading in Italian, but there are more practical tips that you can start using to make sure that reading in Italian is a useful way to practice, like how you can even use reading to improve your pronunciation.
M: To get more tips on how to learn Italian by reading books, click the link in the description to head over to our website, or go to italian.joyoflanguages.com/podcast and search for episode 190.
M: See you next time.
K: Or as we say in Italian.
Alla prossima!
Time to check your understanding and remember everything you just learned! Below you’ll find a mini-quiz to help it all go in.
Quiz : Learn Italian with Italian Books
How much did you learn? Find out in the quiz!
Click here to take the quiz for this episode: Learn Italian with Italian Books
