The last decade noticed a growth in the demand of English-learning opportunities. English has become a fundamental work tool, transcending its classic, communicative use. People nowadays tend to learn English for professional purposes rather than communication. This development requires the training and hiring of English language teachers, most importantly, certified ones. To satisfy this demand, a big number of international centers, organizations, and foreign languages schools came into existence, offering various types of training and certification programs, such as iTTi TEFL/TESOL certification. The latter trains and certifies people to teach English around the world.

Teaching Opportunities
Beirut is the capital of Lebanon and a bustling city in the Middle East. There is a plethora of teaching jobs in Beirut among public and private schools, language training centers, and universities.

There is a high demand for English teachers in Beirut and other cities such as Jezzine and Byblos. Application in schools starts from January to April for the start of classes in August/September. Most students are locals, and Arabic may be the main language of instruction in most schools. However, private international schools use English as the main language of instruction.

Contract Length
Contracts differ from one month to 24 months depending on the individual school.

Salary & Benefits
An English teacher in Lebanon earns around 2,420,000 LBP per month. Salaries range from 1,160,000 LBP (lowest average) to 4,410,000 LBP (highest average). This monthly salary includes housing, transport, and other benefits.

In terms of vacation, teachers receive 10-14 days paid vacation annually and between 10 and 15 days paid public holidays.

In Lebanon, an employer’s social contributions total 22.5%. This includes the following: 8% for sickness and maternity; 6% for family allowances; 8.5% for end of service allowance (on top of an employee’s whole salary).

Healthcare System in Lebanon
Healthcare services in Lebanon are provided by both public and private institutions. The public healthcare system is funded by the government and is available to all citizens and foreign residents. For this purpose, the government created a fund to which organizations, employers, and employees contribute. The quality of public healthcare varies depending on the region, but it is generally considered to be of a good standard.

Foreign residents have access to the public healthcare system; however, they may need to pay for some services. Expats in Lebanon can use the public healthcare system, but they may need to pay for some services.

In addition, many expats opt to use private healthcare services, which they believe are generally of a higher quality than the public system.

Schools in Lebanon usually pay for healthcare for their English teachers.

Pharmacies
www.thepharmaciesguide.com This guide gives you complete information about pharmacies in Beirut and in other parts of Lebanon, including address, website, and opening hours.

Important Emergency Numbers
Police: 112
Lebanese Red Cross: 140
Fire Department: 175
General Security: 1717

Culture in Lebanon
The culture of Lebanon and the Lebanese people emerged from various civilizations over thousands of years. It was home to the Phoenicians and was subsequently conquered and occupied by the Assyrians, the Greeks, the Romans, the Persians, the Arabs, the Crusaders, the Ottoman Turks and the French. This variety is reflected in Lebanon’s diverse population, composed of different religious groups, and features in the country’s festivals, literature, artifacts, cuisine and architecture of Lebanon. 

Languages Spoken in Lebanon
There are several different languages that are fluently spoken and used all over the country. The dominant languages are Arabic (spoken in North Laventine dialect), English, Armenian, French, and Kurdish. Lebanon’s rich history has a great impact on its diversity of languages. Arabic is considered to be the national language.

Religion
Lebanon is the most religiously diverse country in the Middle East region. It is a secular state where freedom of religion is provided to the citizens of the country. Thus, the people have the right to select and practice a religion of their choice.

The CIA World Factbook estimated (2020) the following, though this data does not include Lebanon’s sizable Syrian and Palestinian refugee populations: Muslim 67.8% (Sunni, Shia and smaller percentages of Alawites and Ismailis), Christian 32.4% (mainly Maronite Catholics are the largest Christian group), Druze 4.5%, and very small numbers of Jews, Baha’is, Buddhists, and Hindus.

Food and Drinks
Traditional Lebanese food usually consists of whole grains, vegetables, fresh fish, and seafood, as well as animal fats, olive oil, garlic, and lemon juice. Chickpeas and parsley are also staples in a Lebanese diet.

Chicken and lamb are the most common meats to eat, but goat is also popular, especially in the mountain regions.

Having a combination of tantalizing drinks produced in Lebanon with a delicious meal is a smart way to enjoy your day in the country.
Arak: It’s a drink that is mostly served in social settings such as in bars, clubs, restaurants, etc.
Beers: Lebanese love their beer.
Ayran: It’s a refreshing yogurt-based drink prepared from milk, salt, and garlic.
Wine: Lebanon is renowned for being one of the oldest sites of wine production in the world.