Audiobooks in Italian

Listening to audiobooks in Italian can be both entertaining and educational if you’re in the process of learning this language. Here’s all about it.

Italian is one of the most beautiful languages in the world. It's the language of world greats such as Michelangelo Buonarroti, Leonardo da Vinci, Dante Alighieri, and many others. Hence, it’s no wonder that so many people from other parts of the world are looking to learn to speak its beauty when visiting Italy.

But learning a new language isn’t an easy task. It takes years of practice and hard work to become fluent, and the same goes for Italian. Still, what if we say that you can do it the easy way? What if there was a simple yet effective study technique for Italian learning and speaking it like a native speaker? Well, there is, and it’s called learning through audiobooks.

Audiobooks in Italian to guide language learning

Listening to audiobooks instead of taking the classic dictionary approach has numerous benefits. For one, it’s better for material comprehension. Numerous studies suggest that listening allows you to take in more information than just reading.

On the other hand, audiobooks are narrated by professional voice actors. They have perfect diction and allow listeners to learn proper pronunciation. Furthermore, enjoying written content aloud is also a great way to learn new words and enrich your new vocabulary.

Audiobooks also provide their listeners a chance to multitask. This means that you can enjoy them like podcasts while commuting long distances. And all that without having to worry whether you’ll bother others in your vicinity, as you’ll be using your headphones.

So, if audiobooks are so great, where can you find them? Thanks to the gods of the internet, there are countless sites and online libraries that offer audio titles. One of the most popular is definitely Amazon’s subscription-based service called Audible.

Audible has thousands of Italian audiobooks, both those written by Italians and foreign titles translated and narrated by Italian voice actors. These range from best-selling thrillers and history books to short stories, young adult novels, and language-learning textbooks.

Best-selling Italian audiobooks

To start your Italian audiobook journey, you should first choose some easy titles for listening to. Therefore, allow us to list some of the most popular and best-selling beginner-friendly Italian audiobooks for you.

La divina commedia

La divina commedia (The Divine Comedy) is one of the most popular pieces of Italian literature. It was written by none other than Dante Alighieri, and many consider it the pillar of modern literature. This is a narrative-based poem that talks about the afterlife, with some fascinating insights into human nature and life itself.

Still, this shouldn’t scare you. The book is in plain Italian for beginners, meaning it's fairly easy to listen to and understand, even if you’re just starting to learn the language.

Le avventure di Pinocchio

You’d have to be living under a rock all your life not to hear about Pinocchio. However, we’re not here to talk about the Disney animated feature from some years back. We’re here to mention it as a perfect audiobook for newbie language learners. The reason is simple. Carlo Collodi’s The Adventures of Pinocchio is fun, well-written, and suitable for all ages. It can also serve as a great basis to enrich your vocabulary with Italian words.

La contessa di Karolystria

The Countess of Karolystria is a tragicomedy written by the great Riccardo Fasol. Besides being one of the greatest Italian novelists and poets, he also wrote for the great compositor Giuseppe Verdi.

Nevertheless, this book is a fun tale about the Countess as she and her friend Vicomte d’Aguilar jump from one misadventure to another. It’s in easy Italian, with simple sentences and phrases you can use in everyday life.

TTS technology

After you finish listening to every Italian audiobook, you can also use Speechify to hear your emails, articles and work in Italian. This will help you continue hearing and learning the proper pronunciation of the language. 

FAQ

How do I learn Italian audiobooks?

Like all other audiobooks, the Italian ones are best enjoyed by listening to them over a set of headphones. As such, you can do it at any time without bothering others and them disrupting your concentration.

Does Audible have Italian lessons?

There are over 900 Italian language-learning audiobooks available on Audible.

Where can I find audiobooks in other languages?

Audible is a great place to start your foreign-language audiobook journey. Over at their site, you can find titles in pretty much any living language in the world.

How can I learn Italian in a car?

By listening to audiobooks, you can learn Italian even while driving.

Is Audible a subscription service?

Audible is a subscription-based service that offers three plans—Audible Plus, Audible Premium Plus 1 Credit, and Audible Premium Plus 2 Credits.

How do I unsubscribe from Audible?

All you need to do is head over to their site, navigate to Payments and Subscriptions, then Subscriptions, and finally Cancel Subscription.

What is the best way to learn Italian?

Aside from taking private lessons, listening to audiobooks on your own is a fun way to improve your Italian language skills.

What are some popular Italian audiobooks?

• La divina commedia by Dante Alighieri
• La avventure di Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi
• La contessa di Karolystria by Antonio Ghislanzoni
• Racconti by Alfonso Borello
• L’amicca Geniale by Elena Ferrante

How do I download an audiobook in Italian?

Depending on the site where you acquire your Italian audiobook, you’ll either be redirected to a page where you can click on a download link, or you’ll get the same link via email after your purchase has been completed.