At Home in Budapest

By Sam Margolis

Budapest has become a hotspot for expatriate purveyors of our mother tongue. Given that Hungary's neighbors produce the finest beer in the world and the general cost of living is rather low by Western standards, this is understandable. Travelers can find a nice apartment for $150-$200 a month and a job teaching English within 48 hours. Just go into any big hotel, pick up a copy of the English language phone book, and look under language schools-there are more than 50 in the capital. (The listings are under "Nyelviskolak," language schools.) The three English language weeklies in Budapest (Budapest Business Journal and Budapest Sun) also run advertisements for schools. About the only requirement is that teachers conduct themselves respectably and that the students are pleased with their performance.

Teachers considering spending a minimum of a year in Hungary may instead want to find a position at a university or college, a high school, or even an elementary school. Such positions are competitive in Budapest, but universities and colleges in rural regions have openings.

Universities and public schools provide housing and expenses (including local transport and a 50 percent discount on national trains) and make sure that all the paperwork is in order. Classes are always held at the same place. One also can develop working relationships with colleagues more easily than in a language school.