With a set of three audio CDs, this text is intended for anyone interested in learning modern Arabic as a living language. The first part of the Al-Kitaab language program, it embodies two main premises: that the student can and should learn to recognize and produce the sounds of Arabic correctly from the very beginning, and that the student should be introduced to the full range of the Arabic language and cultural continuum - colloquial, modern standard, and classical. In teaching the sounds and letters of Arabic, this text provides a variety of exercises aimed at developing all skills: reading, listening, writing, speaking, and cultural understanding. In order to teach Arabic as used by Arabs, including social aspects of Arab culture, this book and its accompanying CDs introduce the student to the colloquial dialect of Cairo, the most widely spoken and understood in the Arabic-speaking world. Alif Baa introduces about 150 basic vocabulary words, including social greetings and politeness formulae, most of which are common to standard Arabic and one or more dialects. The book and CDs focus on reading skills, aural recognition, and oral production through extensive drills and accompanying videos. Including authentic materials from newspapers and magazines and skits filmed in Egypt, as well as an English-Arabic glossary, Alif Baa lays the groundwork for the rest of the Al-Kitaab language program.