How do we choose out of all the the books and translation resources out there? Well, you've come to the right place. We have our favorites down below and the languages they cover. There's something for everybody!
This page is a general guide. However, if you need advice for learning one language in particular, please look at the page for that language in the Language Index for specific advice on the best dictionaries, exercise books and resources for the language you're learning.
Electronic Dictionaries
Get in with the in-crowd with one of Ectaco's many versatile pocket communicators!
Here you can sample Ectaco's excellent online translation services for free... it's just a taste of what their huge line of Electronic dictionaries have to offer! You can see from the drop down menu, how many languages they deal in.
And check out Ectaco's latest bargain:
What makes Ectaco better than the rest?
They guarantee lowest prices and the best discounts, with a return policy and free one year international warranty. They also provide product help 24/7 by email.
Ectaco has won 8 awards over the last 3 years for breakthrough technologies such as speech synthesis, speech recognition, and powerful localization tools. We truly recommend these as the best electronic dictionaries out there.
They also provide softward but for more information on that please check our Software page.
A long time established and reputable provider of dictionaries and phrasebooks.
Languages Covered...
Chinese, French, German, Greek, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Welsh
... and also provides software for these languages.
Please see our Software page for more information.
Good For...
Extensive Vocabulary: Collins dictionaries provide a very comprehensive range of words. So whether you're a beginner or quite advanced you'll very rarely be left frustrated because you can't find the translation of a word you're looking for.
A stimulatingly visual dictionary, with the word equivalents to English in French, German, Italian, and Spanish alongside each image. A very unique dictionary indeed. We're lovin' it!
Good For...
Memory & Visual Learners: Associating an image with a word really helps you remember it. By using this dictionary you'll make the most of each time you look a up a new word. By seeing an image of it, you'll be far more likely to remember it.
Language Lovers: An incredible book for anyone's library... with background information and details of interest for over 400 languages. This is a definite favorite of LLL's!
Grammar: Understanding the grammar of a language is essential if you're going to express yourself clearly. The Hugo "in 3 months" series provide an excellent introduction to the grammar of the language. If you follow the course over three months, you end up with a good understanding of the different tenses, verb conjugations, prepositions etc.
Real Life Language: If you're looking for an exercise book with real-life vocabulary and usage then this is the one for you. Learn to speak like the locals.
Since this series also comes in audio CD, please choose from the languages above or see our Audio pages for more information.
Value & Range of learning methods: The Berlitz books are usually accompanied by audio CDs, which makes them good value for money and easy to take in, while driving for example. Combining learning methods is essential if you're going to progress quickly.
Internet freebies: Check out these free downloads on the Berlitz Publishing official website.
A HUGE provider of all types of language learning resources. Some of the major exercise/reference book courses are Complete Course: the Basics and Ultimate Course.
Verbs: An excellent reference tool for verbs. Particularly useful for languages which use a lot of verb conjugation such as the romance languages and Russian. Look up a verb, and you'll find listed all the different conjugations for the different tenses.
Note:
If you're not careful you might miss the grammar explanations at the beginning of the book and then you'll be lost. What do we mean? Well, the charts will tell you for example what the "past perfect" of "see" is... but if you haven't brushed up on what "past perfect" means, you'll get frustrated, fast. Make sure you get the gist of the introductory explanations first, so you can understand the grammatical charts in these verb books.
For those of you out there who are visual learners, this book could be just what you need! Instead of dry text and memorization, this approach is colorful and image packed, turning language learning into a much more enjoyable experience.
Comparing Texts: Comparing the English version of a text with that of the language you're learning is very useful in that you begin to get a feel of how the language is used, sentence structure, and how ideas are expressed. The Dover short stories provide an enjoyable setting to do this.
Compare the English translation that is found alongside these lovely short stories in: French, German, Italian and Spanish.
Good For...
Comparing Texts: Comparing the English version of a story with that of your target language really helps you get a feel of how the language is used. By observing the sentence structure, and how ideas are expressed, you develope your ability to do the same. The Penguin Parallel Text series are an enjoyable way to develope your language comprehension.
THIS JUST IN!
ICOON Global Picture Dictionary is the latest craze for travelers... a phrase book but without words and thus spans ANY language! It is purely a book of images with which you use to point, gesture, and communicate, no matter where you go! Truly a global picture dictionary, with 2000 useful icons including 400 colour photos in 12 different categories on over 76 pages... yet it is just the size of your passport, and just as easy to use!
Help Others Live & Learn
We'd love to know which dictionaries and exercise books you found particularly useful for learning a leanguage and why. By sharing our language learning experiences, we can help eachother to language learning success.
Please e-mail us your findings using the form below.
is the latest craze for travelers... a phrase book but without words and thus spans ANY language! It is purely a book of images with which you use to point, gesture, and communicate, no matter where you go! Truly a global picture dictionary, with 2000 useful icons including 400 colour photos in 12 different categories on over 76 pages... yet it is just the size of your passport, and just as easy to use!
