Most of the Koreans I’ve talked to speak English pretty well. Still, sometimes it can be hard to understand them. But what’s even more strange is the way they use English in signs and ads. That is, the English has the tendency to be either incorrect or it reads like a slight non sequitur. For instance, I’ve seen signs that read “A Familly Place” or a children’s play area that is billed as “Learning Center for the Children” and that sort of thing. This is really more common than it should be and has me thinking I could make a small fortune as a proofreader here in Asia.

But not all the English I’ve seen is like that. A teenage girl in a McDonald’s wore a t-shirt that read “You’ve been very naughty. Go straight to my room.” That’s a pretty clear message anywhere in the world.