Why?

For better or worse, English has become a standard language of business throughout the world. In most major European and Asian countries, English is now routinely taught to both children and adults.

Perhaps twenty years ago, this wave of interest in the language created opportunities for English-speakers to find work plying their language in Japan. There are still such jobs to be found, but in the year 2000, one of the nations most active in encouraging its population to learn English is Korea.

In South Korea, private schools, or Hagwan, have been tightly regulated because of concern that their widespread use might undermine the nation's public education system. But a few years ago, English teaching was deemed important enough to warrant easing the laws. Today, much of the actual teaching of English is entrusted to commercial language schools. These institutes compete with one another for students, from school children to corporate clients. Having one or more native English speakers can provide them with a competitive advantage.

You don't have to speak Korean to serve as such an instructor (though it helps). Many of the Hagwan are satisfied with native speakers who simply demonstrate the sound of English to their students. And you're apt to find that by the end of your stay in Korea, you know some Korean anyway.

If you're interested in trying this experience, there are plenty of webpages which will warn you of potential negatives. Certainly there are pitfalls for the unwary, and they're probably especially precipitous for a young American, overseas for the first time, with no command of the Korean language. But positive expectations often bring positive results, as in this case. So far, Margaret's having a great time, as her letters show.