What Are the Best AP Italian Textbooks and Prep Books?

Are you preparing for the AP Italian Language & Culture exam this year, but finding it hard to find textbooks and prep books that will work for you? Well, fret not because below, we've listed the best resources that you can use to rock your esame in May!

Textbooks 📚

Because the CollegeBoard doesn't recommend specific textbooks for AP Italian Language & Culture, we took the time to compile a list of the best ones used in intro Italian college courses. They're also ranked and have superlatives like "best content" or "best price" to help you find out which one would be best for you. So, let's get into the list.

#1: Best Content

Immagina: l’Italiano Senza Confini, Third Edition by Jonathan Cummings and Ellen E. Pastorino

Image Courtesy of Amazon 

Pros

• Once you purchase the book, you can access its digital version, which includes activities, audio, videos, and short films ( ⬅️ this is great if you want a more immersed experience).
• The textbook reviews all of the content tested on the AP Italian exam, including grammar, vocabulary, and themes.
• It's the only textbook we could find that is updated for the 2020-21 examination.
• It is extremely in-depth, yet easy to follow, which is always a plus in an AP-level textbook.
• The book only covers AP-level content, but this may be a con if you want to review earlier topics from previous levels of Italian.

Cons

• This book is expensive and sells for up to $312 on Amazon 😳. Note: If you're not sure whether or not you want to buy the textbook, try out this free sample lesson. 

#2: Easiest to Read & Best Price (Tied)

Prego! An Invitation to Italian, 8th Edition by Graziana Lazzarino 

Image Courtesy of Amazon 

Pros

• In case you don't want to buy a copy, you can download a PDF of the textbook (attached above and just press "Get" to download! ⬆️).
• You can rent the book through Amazon instead of purchasing a copy, which is good if you'd rather pay less and not keep the book once the course is over.
• This book covers both introductory and advanced content, but still is a bit basic.
• It goes into depth about important themes in AP Italian like diritti umani (human rights) and sfide ambientali (environmental issues).

Cons

• The book is expensive to buy new or used and can range anywhere from $86-$139.
• Because this book is leaned towards beginning Italian speakers, it is focused less on grammar and grammatical rules and more on vocabulary.
• It puts an emphasis on travel vocabulary and phrases in early chapters, which isn't very useful for the AP Italian exam.
• It doesn't completely align with the AP Italian requirements mentioned in the College Board's Course and Exam Description.

#3: Best Value & Best Price (Tied)

Modern Italian Grammar, Second Edition by Anna Proudfoot and Francesco Cardo 

Original photo 

Pros

• The grammatical topics mentioned in the book are explained well and easy to understand
• There's an entire section dedicated to irregular verbs and verb tenses, which is helpful if you've forgotten some stuff from earlier levels.

Cons

• It starts with the absolute basics of Italian grammar, but this may be a pro if you need a refresher.
• Because this book mostly for college classes and by people self-learning Italian, it isn't aligned with the AP Italian unit and content requirements.
• There's no practice to review what you've learned.
• As suggested by the title, the book only covers grammar and doesn't introduce vocabulary or cultural themes.

Prep Books 📖

As of now, there are no updated prep books for AP Italian Language & Culture. Barron's released one in 2008, but it costs up to $578 on Amazon (‼️) and doesn't reflect what'll be tested on the 2021 exam. So, we found the best free Italian review books and listed them below.

#1: Best Value, Best Content & Best Price

Basic Italian: A Grammar and Workbook by Stella Peyronal and Ian Higgins 

Pros

• It has a free PDF (attached above! ⬆️)
• Although it's a self-proclaimed "basic" book, it covers grammar from earlier levels of Italian and introduces new, advanced rules.
• In case you want to practice what you've learned or reviewed, you can do the practice exercises included in the book.
• It reviews most of the important verb tenses, including the presente, imperfetto, and futuro.

Cons:

• Since this book only goes over basic Italian, it doesn't include all the topics that are required for the AP Italian exam.

#2: Easiest to Read

Italian All-In-One for Dummies by Antonietta Di Pietro

Image Courtesy of Amazon 

Pros

• The author is able to explain complicated grammatical topics with ease.
• Books 3-6 review most of the grammar needed for AP Italian.
• This book comes with audio practice, which is good since the exam has audio prompts in both the multiple-choice and open-ended.

Cons

• Because this is targeted towards beginners (or as the title says, dummies), there is a focus on tourist vocabulary in Books I and II, which is not tested on the exam.
• It doesn't go into depth about Italian culture.

Closing Thoughts

And that's it! By using the textbooks and prep books above to study, alongside other resources and in-classroom learning, you'll be prepared for the AP Italian Language & Culture exam this May. It's super important to have additional resources with you throughout this journey, so keep an eye out for more resources from Fiveable. Have fun studying and in bocca al lupo! 🇮🇹