English is a secondary language of Lebanon, with 40% of the population saying in 2011 that they can speak it non-natively.[1]
Most Lebanese people speak the Lebanese dialect of Levantine Arabic. English, however, is also used in Lebanon for a variety of functions, including oral and written communications, sometimes among speakers of Levantine.[2] It is also used as a medium of instruction, especially in natural sciences and mathematics.
Many Lebanese words, such as CD, crispy, hot dog and film, have been borrowed from English, and some speakers code-switch between English, Levantine Arabic, and French in a single conversation.
- ^ Euromonitor International report (2011)
- ^ Esseili, Fatima (2017). "A sociolinguistic profile of English in Lebanon". World Englishes. 36 (4): 684–704. doi:10.1111/weng.12262. ISSN 1467-971X. S2CID 148739564.