It's also standard for an employer to provide health insurance and pay 50 per cent of the teacher's premiums. Teachers typically get two to three weeks of holiday every year and three to five paid sick days. Although getting a work visa is time-consuming, it's straightforward and often the school will do the bulk of the paperwork.

The big draw for many aspiring teachers, unsurprisingly, is the money. Teachers in Korea can expect to make somewhere between 1.8 million and 2.2 million won per month, around $2000-$2500 at the current exchange rate. In Japan, wages are slightly higher: 250,000 yen per month, or roughly $3100, though employees are charged about 40,000 yen or $500 each month for accommodation. In both countries it is normal to receive an extra month's salary as a bonus for completing a 12-month contract. Taiwanese salaries are lower at around $2000, and in China they're about $1100 per month, though there is substantial variation in the pay scale.

The figures can be a bit misleading though. Costs also vary from country to country, and as exchange rates fluctuate, teachers can find their savings ballooning or shrivelling unpredictably. When Russell left Korea following the 1997 Asian crisis, he traded in his earnings at half the Canadian value he'd expected when signing on to the job. Such a crash is unlikely to occur again, but a recent graduate with student loans to pay back may still twinge with anxiety.

Japan, once a beacon of economic growth and opportunity, has been stagnating for the past several years. Korea bounced back quickly from the 1997 crisis, only to slip into recession again in 2002; it has yet to fully emerge. That also means jobs teaching English in both these countries are gradually becoming harder to find.

"I'm seeing a real slow-down in the market right now in Korea," says Russell. "A lot of schools are either cutting back or closing just because there are so many schools out there now."

In Japan, he adds, the decrease in job openings is more obvious. "The allure of learning English has lost its lustre a bit," he says.

In China, in contrast, the opportunities for ESL teachers keep growing. But salaries are lower and, since the industry is less entrenched, there is greater variation in working conditions. Both these things help to keep Korea and Japan the preferred options for most teachers seeking work.

Still, for some, the bottom line is not always, well, the bottom line.

"I didn't come for the money," says Wiens. "I came for the experience and I've stayed for the students."

An experience it is. The cultural differences between countries can be hard to grasp at times and even harder to accept, Wiens notes. Even the most visible differences in climate or cuisine can be cause for concern.

"To tell you the truth," admits Tinka, "the thing I'm worried most about is not having the right clothes. Dress code is pretty strict and I'm 5'10" with size 11 feet, and that doesn't go over so well in Japanese clothing stores."