Requirements

Can speak English fluently

Main types of teaching:
In-company : General English, Business English, English for Specific Purposes
English Medium Schools: General English, English for Younger Learners
University Language Departments: General English

Contracts

Usually 12 months (renewable)

Salary

US$1000-$1,600 per month (approx), and is commensurate with a teacher's qualifications and experience.

Country Profile

•        Capital: Sanaá

•        Climate: The climate in Yemen is various and depends on the different altitudes of the regions.

There are no distinctive limits between the seasons. Generally there are two main seasons (summer and winter). During summer the climate is hot with high humidity dominating in the coastal area.

In winter the climate in the coastal area is relatively moderate. Occasional rains in the summer are caused by the monsoon coming from the Indian Ocean. These rains decrease the high temperatures in the coastal area during the summer.

The weather in the mountain area is moderate in summer and relatively cold in winter. During winter it becomes especially cold in the night and in the early morning, with pleasant sunny days.

·                     Religion: Islam (including Sunni and Shiite), small numbers of Jewish, Christian, and Hindu

•        Language: Arabic is the official language of Yemen; Somali, Soqotri, Mehri are other languages spoken on a regular basis in Yemen.

•        Economy: Yemen, one of the poorest countries in the Arab world, reported strong growth in the mid-1990s with the onset of oil production. It has been harmed by periodic declines in oil prices, but now benefits from current high prices.

·                     Government: Republic

Custom and Courtesy

•        Gestures: If the room is carpeted, the visitor should remove the shoes and leave it outside. They believe that leaving the shoes outside can avoid bringing impurities and thereby rendering the carpet ritually unclean for prayer. You should shake hands with the oldest person first once you have entered the room. Then he should make his way around the room in an anti-clockwise direction, shaking hands with each person in turn before taking his seat and joining in the conversation.

If there are more than 50 people in the room or if seating is inconvenient, just shake hands with the host and wave to the other people in the room as your way of greeting them. Crossing legs when seating is accepted but make sure that the sole of foot is not direct to an individual, it means “go away” gesture.

•        Greetings: The standard greeting is “As-salam alaikum,” meaning “peace be upon you” and the standard reply is “Wa alaikum as-salam,” meaning “and upon you be peace.” When you arrive at the reception room, you should stand in the doorway and utter “As-salam alaikum.” You can only enter after receiving the reply of the host. If in case the host has no reply, you can repeat the greeting, but if continued failure to reply means that you are not welcome.

•        Diet: Rice, bread, vegetables, lamb, and fish are the chief foods in Yemen. The national dish is a spicy stew called salta.

In the afternoon, chewing the leaves of a plant called the khat is still widely observed by almost all men and many of the women. These leaves contain a stimulant, and they produce a mild intoxication or euphoria (feeling of well-being).

•        Dress: People in the city wear Western-style clothing but many others wear traditional Arab dress. The men's garments include cotton breeches or a striped futa (kilt). Many men wear skullcaps, turbans, or tall, round hats called tarbooshes. While women wear long robes, black shawls, and cover their faces with veils.