The best-selling "Alif Baa" is the first volume of the Al-Kitaab Arabic language program and is now available in a new third edition. In this new version of the introduction to Arabic letters and sounds, English-speaking students will find an innovative integration of colloquial and formal (spoken and written) Arabic. Together, the book and new online component provide learners with all the material necessary to learn the sounds of Arabic, write its letters, and begin speaking Arabic, including interactive, self-correcting exercises to enhance learning. The online component also gives instructors additional online grading options. The four-color design throughout the book features over 100 illustrations and photographs. It gives learners and instructors color-coded options for the variety of language they wish to activate in speaking: Egyptian, Levantine, or formal Arabic (MSA). It introduces over 200 basic vocabulary words in all three forms of spoken and written Arabic side by side, including expressions for polite social interaction, and activates them in interactive homework exercises and classroom groupwork. It includes video dialogues in Egyptian and Levantine, filmed in Cairo and Damascus. It includes video footage of an Arabic calligrapher, capsules on Arabic culture, and images of street signs from Morocco, Egypt, and Lebanon. It includes new English-Arabic and Arabic-English glossaries, searchable in the online companion. New 3rd Edition Textbook includes 18 months of access to the companion website alkitaabtextbook.com that features a fully integrated set of interactive exercises with all the video and audio materials and additional online course management and grading options for teachers. It includes a convenient DVD with the basic audio and video materials (no interactive exercises) for offline study that will play in any computer's DVD drive or transfer to an MP3 player or transfer to an MP3 player. "Alif Baa" provides the essential first 20-25 contact (classroom) hours of the Al-Kitaab program, accompanied by 40-50 homework hours. Students who complete "Alif Baa" should reach a novice-intermediate to novice-high level of proficiency. Companion website minimal system requirements: Windows OS: Microsoft Windows 95, 98, NT, 2000, ME, XP CPU: 233MHz Pentium Based RAM: 64MB DISPLAY: 800x600, color display BROWSER: Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.01 Service Pack 1 (or higher) or Netscape Navigator 4.7 (including Communicator) CONNECTION SPEED: 56K recommended Macintosh OS: Mac OS System 8.6 - OSX CPU: 233MHz Power Macintosh RAM: 64MB DISPLAY: 800x600, color display BROWSER: Safari, Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 Service Release 1 (or higher) CONNECTION SPEED: 56K recommended.