Written for anyone who needs to acquire a solid working knowledge of the educated colloquial Arabic spoken in an area extending from Basra in southern Iraq, down through Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman. No previous knowledge of Arabic is assumed. The emphasis is on the acquisition of a working knowledge, so that teachers, engineers, businessmen, and others who need to be able to communicate in spoken Arabic in schools, offices, shops, markets, and construction sites should find the book highly useful. Grammatical explanation is given only where it serves some clarificatory purpose, so that much of the book is given over to examples and exercises of a type which will be relevant in coping with day-to-day living in the Gulf. Some reading texts also deal with the customs and beliefs common to the area. A cassette forming an invaluable optional supplement is available.

Arabic collection.