Teaching conversational English in Asia is a popular work abroad option for recent college graduates. Most take on these jobs for six months to a year, and enjoy the opportunity to learn another culture, teach, and travel. Here is a list of simple tips to ensure a safe and happy experience overseas.

Learning the language

If you take the time to learn the language, Koreans will open up and become more responsive. By listening, the language can seem difficult, but once you try it out it is fairly easy to learn. You will also find most Koreans speak better English than you will speak Hangul (Korean language). Just learn enough to say hi or order food (your next bet is to find a Korean speaking amigo).

Be respectful

Realize you are the foreigner and guest in Korea, so be respectful of its culture and people. It's quite common to let a man through a door before a woman or to be served food first - not always but sometimes. Also, when on a bus or subway the elderly section of each cart should stay empty, even if unoccupied. Remember to take your shoes off when entering a home or some restaurants. And bow your head slightly when saying hello.

Shed a few pounds

Ladies, and gents who are into loosing weight, the first few weeks are glorious; you will begin to shed some pounds from the new change in diet. The food can be super healthy compared to in the states - lots of steamed veggies, soups and spicy raw foods will surely clean your system out. Also, Korea is a huge mountainous country, everything is on a hill. Many nights you might ask yourself if it's worth walking up a steep hill, but then you will realize your dorm or apartment is at the top.

Greetings and salutations

In a store or shop each person you make eye contact with will usually say 'Ayoug-ha-seo,' (which means Hello/how are you). The store owner is assuming you will buy something. They usually get frustrated with foreigners because we like to 'window shop' in boutiques. Also, If you are use to walking down the street and people smiling, nodding their heads in recognition of you, or saying hello, don't look for it in Korea. Since there is no word for 'excuse me', they will push you if you're in the way (this is custom especially on subway trains). Also be prepared for long stares, limited interaction or speech response--you are a close foreigner encounter. But there are many exceptions to the rule and some Koreans will be warm and inviting. Koreans are known to be very intimate with each other (friends hold hands, caress, and stand close) along with being very trustworthy and honest (leaving shop items out front of a store overnight).

Nothing is what is seems

Biting into what you would call 'pizza,' or 'steak' back home will be nothing more than an illusion in Korea. Mozzarella sticks are filled with a Velveeta-esque cheese version (this cheese can be found on pizza too). Steak is usually Salisbury (like the kind from your H.S. cafeteria). Pizza, a favorite amongst children, usually is filled with yellow corn, raw onions and no matter what you've ordered, will almost always have sweet-potatoes smothered across it (this could also be a cause to sudden weight loss in Korea).

Best advice: Have fun

Like any situation make the best of it. Go out alone and find a new adventure each day: ride the subway to Sicheon, Iteawon, Dungdeamun, for shopping, go on a bus tour around Seoul ($7 US all day), visit Joysea Buddhist temple or one of many palaces for the day, stroll a mall (Co-Ex Mall is just like any mall in the states), explore the countryside, climb a mountain for breathtaking views of the city, visit a cave, try a new food everyday, see a show (many Korean-adaption Broadway plays are available), watch a movie (which most are English Hollywood movies anyway), watch a traditional dance performance while you dine, relax at one of the many spas (FYI: spas with double-barber poles in the front are said to serve a little more than massages), go to an underground indie concert, sing karaoke at one of the many bars, or dance the night away in a rock, reggae or hip hop club (which are lots of fun and plenty of girl action for you guys). The best part is the nightlife is open all night long.

Feeling blue

There are times you'll feel down about being so far away from home. It's common among English teachers, who miss some U.S. holidays or birthdays back home, to celebrate with new friends while in Korea. Find a group of friends to hang with (Korean and foreign) because going out is very common and loads of fun. Exercise can also help with a sudden case of the blues. Finally, reading inspirational books, meditation and calling home helps to keep a good spirit.

Calling home

Call home, email or send post cards (about 0.25US) at least 2-4 times a month to stay abreast with things at home. Don't overdue it because then you will become dependent on calling home. Koreans can relate because some have traveled away from home to study English and understand your feelings. Note: Bring your laptop for Internet service and get a free account with Sype for extremely cheap calls to the U.S. (less than 1 cent a min.)

How to know its time to leave

Well, hopefully you will finish out your contract, whether 1 month, 1 semester or 1 year. On some occasions you might become ill, or someone at home is ill and need to leave; this is understandable. But, if you find yourself becoming disgruntled or negative about the culture and its people, then, its time to pack up and go home. One teacher would constantly complain everyday about the school system being unorganized (which can happen), unfair and lazy employees and wild-behaved kids. Soon his argues would extend about Koreans in a generalized way. It was time for him to leave and he said so. He'd been a teacher for 2 years and said it was time. What was funny about this teacher is he had an Korean girlfriend.

Happy Endings

If you are from a big city, especially NYC, Seoul will be a piece of cake. But if you are from the country living in a big city will take some getting use to. Be patience and have fun. Everyday is an experience that you will learn and grow from. Take in Korea and all of its wonderful culture and it will take in you. Explore Korea and create a happy ending to the next chapter in your life's journey.

Getting up the nerve to work abroad takes a lot of guts, and relatively few people actually do it. Teaching English in South Korea http://www.jobmonkey.com/teaching/asia/html/south_korea.html can be a great overseas adventure, made better through proper planning and research. Find out where to stay, what to do, how to call home and you will have a better experience. Learn about working abroad http://www.jobmonkey.com/workabroad/ from Lisa Jenkins, a freelance writer whose insights are shared on JobMonkey. Jenkins' has extensive knowledge of ESL jobs in Asia and Europe as well as tips for people who want to volunteer abroad -- all over the world.