Book excerpt: Systematic grammatical approach emphasises learnability of language often regarded as 'difficult'. Cultural upheavals during 1990s mean that language learners now faced with new social and business situations not covered by competitors Lively dialogues cover various situations and social registers and feature characters of various ages and social groups Dialogues supplemented by background cultural, political, historical and even some literary background information Full reference section on verb forms, noun classes and noun paradigms New edition includes: Fewer, but more relevant vocabulary items, making units more manageable for the learner Revised exercies to include more patterened drills to practice difficult grammar points Completely rerecorded audio ensuring speed is pitched at the right level for a beginner.