The 17 best books and manuals to study Spanish

Today I am going to talk about something that my students have asked me many times:

“What books are good for learning Spanish?”

If you have also ever asked yourself this question, stay because I am going to make a list of the 17 best manuals and books to study Spanish.

What should a good Spanish as a foreign language book be like?

Before starting with the aforementioned list, let's answer the following question:

What should a good book have to learn Spanish?

I summarize it for you in 8 points.

1. Be adequate to the level 

The first point is that the contents of the book they must have the indicated level.

That is, if for example we are working with basic Spanish books for foreigners (A1-A2); The exercises, texts and others must be adapted to that level.

It would not make sense for, for example, there to be texts with very technical vocabulary or exercises with complex subjunctive structures. 

In that case, the book would not be appropriate for the level.

2. Be age appropriate

Isn't a novel for adults the same as for teenagers?

Well, it's the same in language books.

A spanish book has to be appropriate for the age of the recipient.

If he book is intended for children, the book should have many recreational activities, illustrations, little text...

Instead, thebooks for adults They may have long texts or exercises with fewer images.

3. Be adapted to the need: specific manuals

¿What is your goalwhen learning Spanish?

Do you want to focus on grammar?

Do you prefer to learn many types of vocabulary or something specific? 

Or maybe you want to prepare for the DELE exam?

Before buying a book, ask yourself these questions. 

then you will know what kind of book do you need.

There are general manuals and others more specific that will serve you according to your interests.

In the list that we will see later I will offer you some very interesting ones. 😉

4. Contain real elements 

Imagine the following situation:

Imagine that you have bought a spanish book and you prepare to read a text with all your enthusiasm.

The following is written in the title: “The entry of the euro in Spain.”

So, you think: “Wait, this happened a long time ago, right?”

You look at the date of the article and it says: “January 2002.” 🙄

nobody likes it read news about things that happened 20 years ago and that no longer have any relevance today.

The books to learn Spanish for foreigners must contain real elements and current affairs.

Texts that talk about the society we live in right now will capture students' attention.

They will attract them even more if they contain information related to their life as students in Spain and help them solve their problems.

5. Have illustrations to facilitate understanding

I have said before that books to learn a language aimed at children must have illustrations.

In the case of thebooks for adults, maybe a little less, but there also has to be.

All language books should have many illustrations for several reasons:

The illustrations are the perfect complement to the words. 

They facilitate understanding of the activity or the text. The images are sometimes very representative and help to better understand the context.

Additionally, the images serve as a visual break.

6. Be pleasant, visual and entertaining

My favorite books to learn Spanish are enjoyable, visual and fun.

We have already seen that the use of illustrations favors this. But there are other elements that help achieve this:

a book well laid out It will also be more visually attractive. 

Especially if there is a balance between the words, the images, the graphic elements and the colors.

What other way is there to make a book more fun?

proposing recreational activities.

That is, playing!

After my experience of many years as a teacher, I have been able to perceive that (almost) all of us love to play, regardless of age.

Even at the highest levels it is necessary to play in class. 

In this way, students retain what they have learned better because they will have the memory of a fun situation with their classmates.

7. Be theoretical and practical

Another element that promotes dynamism is the combination between theory and practice.

Material for teaching Spanish to foreigners that is too theoretical will be boring.

On the other hand, a book that only contains practical exercises without theoretical explanations will be difficult to follow and students will get lost.

The proper fusion of theory and practice will give the student the necessary tools to learn, without getting bored or stressed.

8. Have complementary content

Finally, there is another aspect that greatly increases the interest of a book to learn a foreign language:

Have complementary content.

Supplementary content can be included in many ways:

• Have an exercise or student book.
• An address to a web page.
• CD or other resources to listen to audios.
• A link to a video.
• A survey to do on the street.
• A game.
• A vocabulary list.
• The corrections of the exercises.

The usefulness of the book will be greater if it encourages you to continue learning Spanish through other means.

Interesting manuals

We have already seen what are the necessary features so that a Spanish manual is good.

So, what is it the best book to learn Spanish for foreigners?

Really there is no single book because when it comes to learning a language there are many aspects: grammar, vocabulary, exams, expressions...

We are going to give you a list of 17 books to learn Spanish and the 20 best books to improve your level of Spanish.

I'm going to divide them into three categories:

• Manuals to study without a teacher.
• Books to study with a teacher.
• Books to prepare DELE and SIELE exams of Spanish.

Shall we start?

Let's go there!

To study without a teacher

Can you learn Spanish with a book, without a teacher?

Of course you can, although you will surely go much slower and You won't have someone to correct your mistakes. and you explain why it is a mistake.

Let's start the list with some very complete books, both theoretically and practically. 

With them you can study on your own the spanish language, even without a teacher.

Use of Spanish grammar (Francisca Castro, Editorial Edelsa) 

Use of Spanish grammar It is my favorite book to learn Spanish in terms of grammar exercises. 

It has the classic activities that never fail:

• Fill gaps.
• Match sentences.
• Conjugate verbs.
• Choose the correct option.
• Correct sentence errors
• Etc.

The index is very clear and in one sentence it tells you the grammar that you are going to learn in each topic.

Example:

1. The nouns and adjectives.
2. The verb to be.
3. Being and there is.
4. The possessives
5. Etc.

 Each topic is accompanied by a theoretical explanation with examples, illustrations and many exercises.

The exercises are perfect to mechanize and practice grammar. 

It contains three editions that They cover all levels: elementary, intermediate and advanced.

Grammar of use of Spanish. Theory and practice (Luis Aragonés, Ramón Palencia and Ángel Sánchez. Editorial SM)

Spanish Usage Grammar is another spanish grammar book very good.

Eachtopic is a grammar lesson, with its theoretical explanations, examples and exercises that increase in difficulty as you progress.

It also has illustrations and paintings to facilitate understanding and highlight the most important aspects.

One of the most striking things about this book is its format.

There are 4 books; one general and three specific:

• Grammar of use of Spanish. A1-B2.
• Grammar of use of Spanish. A1-A2
• Grammar of use of Spanish. B1-B2
• Grammar of use of Spanish. C1-C2

with the first you will have a general notion and a good base, since you It includes the basic level and the intermediate level.

The other three are more specific and with them you will be able to strengthen the contents of the chosen level more strongly. They have many more exercises (more than 400).

Vocabulary (Marta Baralo, Marta Genis and Mª Eugenia Santana. Editorial Anaya)

Now we bring a very cool book of Spanish lexicon.

There are three books of Vocabulary at different levels: 

• Vocabulary: elementary level.
• Vocabulary: intermediate level.
• Vocabulary: advanced level.

A lot of work goes into these books. Spanish vocabulary for foreigners in different thematic blocks.

The book Vocabulary It always begins with the graphic representation of a topic and continues with a series of varied exercises. 

There are many activities listening comprehension, texts and self-assessment test.

Speaking out (Gordana Vranic, Editorial Edelsa)

Do you like theproverbs and idioms Spanish?

talk out loud It's just about that.

In this book you will know a lot of sayings that the Spanish use in different situations.

They are accompanied by exercises to acquire them in practice.

The illustrations are very funny and they will make you really enjoy practicing with this book.

It is a very interesting book for integrate with the natives.

Do you want to behave like a Spaniard?

Then learn and use your own expressions and jokes. 😁

As you hear it. Theory and Communicative Practice (Carlos G. Medina Montero, Editorial S.E.G.L.) 

How do you hear it? It is a very complete book that It encompasses grammar and lexicon.

It is intended for students with a intermediate level of Spanish or top.

It is divided into 17 units and in each one the following scheme is followed:

• The blackboard: provides a summary of the most relevant points of the unit.
• Exercises: here is the practical part to consolidate the theory.
• What's up. Here what has been learned is expanded with vocabulary or expressions.

At the end of How do you hear it? There are the solutions for all the exercises.

Definitely. Theory and Communicative Practice (Carlos G. Medina Montero, Editorial S.E.G.L.) 

Without a doubt is another book by Carlos G. Medina Montero.

It is also aimed at a student of medium-high level.

This time, the contents revolve around three clear grammar blocks:

• The tenses of the indicative, especially the past.
• Ser and estar, por and para and periphrastic structures.
• The subjunctive.

It also follows the blackboard scheme, exercises, expansion with vocabulary, solutions to the exercises and a glossary with verbal forms.

Grammar Topics: higher level (Concha Moreno, Editorial S.G.E.L.) 

We return to the grammar manuals.

But this time focused on a advanced level. 

Grammar Topics by Concha Moreno, is an excellent book for those who want go deeper into grammar more complex Spanish.

The theoretical explanations are very elaborate and very long, with many examples and illustrations so that they do not become so dense.

I have used it in class with C1 and C2 levels and it has also served me as a teacher to learn things I didn't know.

It is a Spanish book for foreigners super interesting. 👌

To study with a teacher

Would you prefer study Spanish with a teacher in a class?

Sincerely, I think it's the best.

You learn much better if you talk to someone native expert in ELE  and it can also correct you. 

If you add to that the social component of a class, learning this way is much more fun.

In the spanish courses of Hispania, Spanish school, you will learn Spanish and have fun at the same time.

And what are the best books to learn spanish with a teacher?

Let's see them. 😉

New Dream 1, 2, 3, 4 (Editorial Anaya)

The books of New Dream They offer functional content for four learning skills:

Thelistening comprehension, the reading comprehension, the oral expression and the written expression.

Its publisher defines it as a book flexible, exhausted and adaptable.

The truth is that it is one of the most interesting books to teach Spanish to foreign adults that I have used.

Additionally, these books offer activities that are tailored to very real and everyday situations, with many images and a pleasant visual style.

In their four books Virtually all levels are covered:

• Nuevo Sueña 1 is equivalent to a book to learn Spanish A1 and A2.
• New Sueña 2 is equivalent to Spanish B1.

And so on.

New Prism. Spanish course for foreigners (Editorial Edinumen)

The books of New Prism are, for me, of the best books in spanish.

There are a book for each level. 

Each book has a multitude of grammar exercises, expressions, vocabulary, audios, texts, recreational activities... absolutely everything.

The most interesting thing is its division into two books: student book and exercise book.

In the student book There are a lot of texts and theoretical explanations in small boxes that are not dense at all.

In the exercise book It is where the grammar activities corresponding to the units of the student's book are found.

The Fan. Higher level Spanish course (Editorial Diversión)

The Fan It is a Spanish manual of higher level C1.

It is a book that is characterized by a treatment very communicativeof all tasks, including grammar.

Likewise, it has very varied texts with different registers.

It is composed of 33 sessions which are divided into 6 areas:

• Know how to speak
• Know how to do
• Know culture.
• Know how to understand.
• Know words.
• Know grammar.

The Fan also incorporates interesting supplementary materials: a CD and a DVD so that the student can listen to audios or watch advertising videos, reports, interviews, etc.

Advanced Spanish course: texts, grammatical notes and exercises (Concha Moreno)

Another book by Concha Moreno on this list.

Higher Spanish course deals with grammar and offers texts at an advanced level.

It is divided into 66 teaching units.

First, the grammar issues with exercises to learn Spanish.

Then, reading comprehension is worked on with long and complex texts in an educational, informative and scientific field.

Improvement Course. Thinking, speaking and writing in Spanish (Concha Moreno and Martina Tuts, Key edition)

Improvement Course It's another manual C1 or higher.

It is Aimed at students and professionals who want to perfect their Spanishl through the expansion of vocabulary and linguistic terms.

The book has:

• A large repertoire of connectors.
• Exhaustive analysis of verb tenses.
• Contrastive analysis of conjunctions.
• Contrast of pronominal and reflexive verbs.

Lots of vocabulary and situations by thematic areas.

Manuals to prepare Spanish exams 

Is your goal take a Spanish exam?

Then read carefully the following recommendations on the best books in spanish to prepare the DELE and SIELE exams.

DELE exam

We have already talked a lot about DELE exam in this blog.

Anyone who wants to prove their Spanish level must pass this exam or the SIELE.

For this reason, there are many Spanish books for foreigners with him objective of passing the DELE.

Let's look at some.

Chronometer, new DELE edition (Iñaki Tarrés, Mª José Pareja, Fco. Javier López and Pedro Calderón. Edinumen Editorial)

the book Stopwatch, new DELE edition; It is a Spanish book for foreigners of the level B1 and B2 of DELE.

Contains the following:

• Introduction for exam candidates and teachers.
• Explanation of tests and exercises.
• Tips for using the manual.
• 4 exam models.
• Preparation for exam day.
• Activities to develop skills.
• B2 grammar.

Preparation for DELE (Pilar Alzugaray, M.ª José Barrios and M.ª Paz Bartolomé. Editorial Edelsa)

Preparation for DELE is distributed at different levels.

Presents six complete exam models, similar to the real ones. 

At the end of the book there are also useful tips for passing the tests successfully.

The audios are downloadable and with different Hispanic accents.

The solutions and transcripts of the auditions are found in the Keys book.

Do you want to knowthe topics of some exam models real?

We present to you those of DELE A2 and so you can get an idea:

Exam 1. People and housing.
Exam 2. Buying, shopping and eating out.
Exam 3. Health, hygiene and nutrition.
Exam 4. Studies and culture.
Exam 5. The work.
Exam 6. Leisure, travel and communications.

Give DELE, new exam models (Ernesto Puertas Moya, Editorial En Clave ELE)

There is a book of Give it to Give it for each level, from A1 to C2.

It has:

• 6 exam models.
• Strategies and tips.
• More than 130 tasks to practice the 4 skills.
• 5 hours of audio to practice listening comprehension and oral interaction.
• Complementary exercises.
• Annotated solution sheets.
• Real samples of written expression.

The keys to the new DELE (M.ª Pilar Soria, M.ª José Martínez and Daniel Sánchez. Editorial Diversión)

There is also a copy of the keys to the new DELE for each level.

It is a practical and manageable manual. 

It is structured in five thematic units that offer:

• Lexical contents.
• Grammatical contents.
• Communication resources.
• Cultural references required at each level. 

Additionally, each unit contains a key section for help the student successfully pass each test.

At the end of the book, they offer five exam models faithful to the official DELE exams. 

The keys to the new DELEThey are highly recommended books for taking the DELE, but they are also books to improve Spanish in general.

SIELE exam

Are you thinking about preparing the SIELE exam instead of DELE?

do The SIELE exam It's a great idea!

We recommend the following book.

SIELE, preparation for exam (Ramón Díez Galán) 

SIELE, preparation for the exam; contains a multitude of exercises from level A1 to level C1.

All levels in a single book?

Alleluia! 🙌

This makes it a perfect manual for prepare the SIELE and also a good material for learning Spanish in general.

The manual has exam models, explanations and exercises grammar and recommendations. 

It will help you become familiar with the Particularities of the SIELE exam, which is quite different from DELE. 

We have already finished our list of 17 books and manuals to learn Spanish.

I hope it has been helpful to you.

If you know of other interesting books that you think should be on our list, write them in the comments.

See you soon! 😉

Article written by Carlos Martinez for Hispania, Spanish school

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