Books are a great way to learn a language, but what are the best books to learn Spanish?
There are many ways to learn Spanish, face-to-face classes in a language school, live online classes, mobile apps, distance learning online courses, etc.
Books are another invaluable resource!
If you find the right books, they can provide you with all of the grammar theory you will need as well as give you opportunities to practice what you are learning.
Best books to learn Spanish
In this era of technological advancements, many of us are programmed to pick an app or an online course when we decide to start learning a language.
Books may be a traditional way to learn Spanish, but that doesn’t mean they should be discounted, on the contrary!
Books are one the best ways to learn a language and there are many different types of books to provide all round language learning.
How to choose the best books to learn Spanish
There are a mind-boggling number of books to learn Spanish at home out there to choose from!
So, how can you choose the right book?
Different learners will have different specific preferences depending on what and how they wish to learn so we have compiled a handy list of the 7 best books to learn Spanish!
All of the learning books on this list are first-rate!
You can safely rely on any of these books to help you learn Spanish in a clear and comprehensive manner.
Here are our recommendations of the 7 best Spanish books for learning Spanish, let’s get started!
1. Madrigal’s Magic Key to Spanish
Best all-round Spanish textbook for self-study
This book was originally published way back in 1953!
It is a gem of a book that has helped so many Spanish learners over the years.
The author is Language Teacher Margarita Madrigal who was born in Costa Rica in 1912 and died in 1983 after writing 25 extremely popular books covering seven languages.
Madrigal’s Magic Key to Spanish is one of the most popular and best Spanish learning books on Amazon.
The rating is consistently five stars. Andy Warhol even illustrated the cover!
Margarita Madrigal focused her energy on creating a book that made Spanish fun to learn with an emphasis on learning a practical useable language.
Verb conjugations are introduced slowly and Madrigal chose to introduce the past tense first rather than the present tense as is typical with most Spanish textbooks.
Much emphasis is placed upon finding common ground between Spanish and English.
The book shows how many Spanish words are very similar in English and gives the learner confidence by showing them how much they already know before they even start!
Madrigal’s Magic Key to Spanish is one of the best books to learn Spanish, you can find it here on Amazon.
2. Easy Spanish Step-By-Step
Best Spanish workbook with easy-to-follow grammar explanations
Easy Spanish Step-By-Step is another very popular best-selling Spanish-learning book with thousands of 5-star reviews on Amazon.
The author is Barbara Bregstein who is a Spanish Teacher and Translator from New York.
This is a Spanish grammar book and covers all of the important areas, but this book is very successful in making grammar easily digestible.
Bregstein’s teaching style uses a ‘building block’ approach to language learning whereby the student progresses naturally through grammar, verbs, and vocabulary.
The best part of this book, though, is the opportunity it gives the reader to practice what they have been learning.
Every section has written exercises to test your knowledge, along with interesting reading comprehension exercises to help you build vocabulary and further cement your grammar knowledge.
This is a very effective Spanish textbook for self-study.
Easy Spanish Step-By-Step is the best book to learn Spanish if you like a structured approach to learning.
The book progresses in a logical sequence and builds the student’s skills in a very organized and methodical manner.
Tricky grammar theory is broken down into palatable bites and the learner has lots of chances to see if they have understood!
Order your copy of this fantastic Spanish workbook on Amazon.
3. Easy Spanish Phrase Book
Best book for useful Spanish phrases
Dr. Pablo Garcia Loaeza did a great job compiling this wonderful collection of over 700 handy everyday phrases.
It is one of the best-selling Spanish-English phrasebooks on Amazon and has very few reviews lower than 5 stars.
Phrasebooks like this are not only for holiday-makers looking to get by with a few friendly words in the bar or restaurant!
They are also useful resources to get a better feel for how Spanish speakers really speak.
Spanish students of any level can read through a book such as Pablo Garcia Loaeza’s Easy Spanish Phrase Book and see for themselves how typical sentences are constructed.
Easy Spanish Phrase Book is a small book in size that was clearly built with traveling in mind.
It works very well as a handy reference book, to carry with you as you would your dictionary, and flick through regularly.
There is also a useful pronunciation guide to ensure you know how to pronounce the phrases.
Don’t underestimate the worth of phrasebooks such as this! Very handy tools for learners of any level!!
Grab yourself this handy Spanish phrasebook on Amazon.
More best books to learn Spanish…
4. Practice Makes Perfect: Basic Spanish
Best book to learn Spanish for beginner students
Dorothy Richmond has written five books in this ‘Practice makes perfect’ series and they have helped countless learners get off and running with their Spanish.
This is definitely one of the best books to learn Spanish for beginners!
And another highly effective Spanish textbook for self-study.
The topics within Practice Makes Perfect: Basic Spanish are short and sweet ensuring the new learner doesn’t get bogged down in a mire of complex grammar.
Richmond has clearly carefully planned each of her books to welcome beginner students and ease them through the early stages of learning Spanish.
Students appreciate the clutter-free layout of the book and the interactivity offered by its practice exercises.
The content is excellently prepared and presented so that the student enjoys a comprehensive account of all the key areas of beginner-level Spanish without feeling overwhelmed.
Find this great book for beginner Spanish students on Amazon.
5. Short Stories in Spanish for Beginners
Best Spanish book with short stories for beginners
This book contains a wonderful selection of interesting Spanish short stories for beginners that are designed to be understood by learners who have only been learning Spanish for a short period of time.
The subject matter is realistic and concentrates on using basic vocabulary and sentence structures.
There are instructions at the beginning of the book on how the reader should read each chapter to get the most out of the experience and this is important.
You are encouraged to try and read smoothly through each chapter, aiming to understand the overall meaning rather than translating every single word.
Each chapter is accompanied by a quiz to see what the reader has managed to understand and you will be amazed at how much you do understand.
This book to learn Spanish is cleverly geared towards building the student’s confidence by distracting you from the learning process and helping you to immerse yourself in Spanish text.
This book of Spanish stories is available here on Amazon.
6. Barron’s 501 Spanish Verbs
Best Spanish textbook to learn Spanish verbs and verb conjugations
Barron’s 501 Spanish Verbs is a handy collection of the most useful Spanish verbs with all of their different conjugations.
The verbs are presented in alphabetical order, with one verb, its conjugations, and usage examples, per page.
There are also lists of idioms, antonyms, and synonyms, and concise summaries for easy reference.
This is recommended as one of the best books to learn Spanish available and the textbook you need if you want to learn Spanish verbs.
Barron’s 501 Spanish Verbs has been a trusted Spanish learning resource for many years and has thousands of glowing reviews on Amazon.
It is up to its ninth edition now and weighs in at a whopping 704 pages!
There is now also additional downloadable audio content available that gives the learner the opportunity to apply their Spanish grammar knowledge in a variety of situations.
Exercises include sentence completion and listening comprehension.
Buy this Spanish textbook here on Amazon.
7. Learn Spanish with Paul Noble for Beginners
Best Spanish learning audiobook
Paul Noble has created various popular Spanish learning audiobooks and this is a collection of his three beginner-level books.
In this collection, you enjoy over thirteen hours of guided audio learning and it is one of the most popular audiobooks on Amazon with 5 stars.
This is definitely a fun way to learn Spanish. There are no grammar tests, drills, or tests.
There is a downloadable reference booklet, but the idea is to sit back, relax, and listen to this Spanish learning audiobook.
Paul Noble’s teaching approach is calm and encouraging.
He will teach you how to construct useful sentences and help you build your vocabulary repertoire through repetition and immersion in practical everyday scenarios.
Learn Spanish with Paul Noble for Beginners is available here on Amazon.
