This basic course in Persian concentrates on the spoken language, illustrated by conversation based on everyday situations. After a thorough grounding in pronunciation and in basic grammatical features, the student is introduced to the writing system of Persian. Some of the basic differences between spoken and written styles are explained. Imitation of a native speaker is provided, and the course is designed for intelligent and efficient imitation. Each of the 12 units has three parts: new material to be learned (basic sentences), explanation (hints on pronunciation and notes), and drill (grammatical, variation, substitution, narrative, and questions and answers). (Authors/VM)