The Arab peoples of Africa and the Middle East speak to each other in a variety of local dialects, but the language that serves educated Arabs all over the world when they need to converse across national boundaries is Modern Standard Arabic.  Although it is otherwise chiefly a medium of written communication, it is also spoken on the radio and television, on lecture platforms, on the stage, at formal gatherings, and at business and diplomatic sessions.  Materials for the development of oral skills are therefore of prime importance in teaching it successfully. This highly useful and effective textbook by Belkacem Baccouche and Sanaa Azmi is directed at students who have acquired basic skills in Modern Standard Arabic and wish to expand their vocabulary and improve their speaking ability.  The book takes the student step by step through a series of specific social situations, teaching the proper expressions and responses to be used.  It also contains lively conversation and narrative passages, numerous drills and exercises, glossaries in Arabic-English and English-Arabic, and tables of grammatical rules.