Basic Italian: CD/Book Package (LL(R) Complete Basic Courses) (Audio CD)

by Living Language (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Speak Italian with confidence in just 6 weeks!

Living Language Italian Complete Course is 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.

40 lessons on three compact disks
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 Coursebook
The pocket-size book contains all the translated phrases from the recorded lessons, plus additional vocabulary, detailed explanations, and quizzes.
The book also features verb charts with all tenses included and a comprehensive summary of Italian grammar.

Italian-English/English-Italian Dictionary
More than 15,000 words are defined.
Idiomatic expressions and common phrases show how words are used in everyday conversation.
The dictionary doubles as a phrasebook.
1,000 of the most frequently used words are highlighted for easy reference.

The best-selling language course that really works--revised, updated, and expanded!

For Beginners or Those Who Want a Thorough Review

From the Inside Flap
Speak Italian with confidence in just 6 weeks!

Living Language Italian Complete Course is 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.

40 lessons on three compact disks
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 Coursebook
The pocket-size book contains all the translated phrases from the recorded lessons, plus additional vocabulary, detailed explanations, and quizzes.
The book also features verb charts with all tenses included and a comprehensive summary of Italian grammar.

Italian-English/English-Italian Dictionary
More than 15,000 words are defined.
Idiomatic expressions and common phrases show how words are used in everyday conversation.
The dictionary doubles as a phrasebook.
1,000 of the most frequently used words are highlighted for easy reference.

The best-selling language course that really works--revised, updated, and expanded!

For Beginners or Those Who Want a Thorough Review

Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Living Language (April 28, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0609602721
• ISBN-13: 978-0609602720
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 5.8 x 2.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,060,868 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

70 of 70 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All in all, this course is worth the money., August 4, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Basic Italian: Cassette/Book Package (LL(R) Complete Basic Courses) (Audio Cassette)

This course proves outstanding, both in its presentation and its content. Coupled with the audio, I have never seen a more thorough review of the language from any other source. It is inclusive of the text and two sets of tapes (one to go along with the manual and the other as a self-study unit after the learner becomes more familiar with the language). The dialogues, exercises, and grammar all clearly follow the course objectives, and the course includes cultural notes and useful information. After years of studying languages and linguistics, I have found that the most excellent path toward language acquisition must encompass reading, writing, speaking, and understanding. This course helps with all of these. The dialogues, exercises, and supplemental readings allow the student of the language to gain competence in reading Italian, the exercises do an extraordinary service by enforcing the written language, and the tapes (or CD's) allow the learner to advance in speech, pronunciation, and verbal comprehension. The extensive Italian to English and English to Italian, as well as the appendices, help the learner to gain an ever-stronger competence in the language. This course should, and shall, give sufficient confidence in Italian to anyone who finds an interest in the language, for whatever the reason. Learners of other languages would be privileged to obtain material of this quality. If you have a desire to learn Italian, this is the place to start, and enjoy. You will find the easy-to-read grammar, the interesting text and cultural notes, and the easier, "at your own pace" style very simple and fun to work with, as well as educational and informative. Grazie, e che vi piaccia (Thanks, and enjoy).

40 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very good but can't be used in your car., April 11, 1999

By A Customer

I would buy this course again, but I had hoped to be able to use it in my car. The course pretty much requires that you listen to the CD with the textbook in hand.

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential Italian for Travelers, May 8, 2000

By A Customer

While I am still unable to carry on lengthy conversations in Italian, this course did help me to ask questions and, more importantly, understand the replies while on a recent trip to Italy. A word of caution -- this course won't help you read an Italian menu, so if you don't like tripe, learn the word for that before you go. My only complaint is that, in a few places, the CD and the text did not match. This is a minor complaint considering the cost of the series and its overall effectiveness. Definitely worth the expense if you need to take a crash course before you fly...