「日本人はあそこまで英語ができないのになんで英語圏に来るの？」
"Why do Japanese students come to NZ when they don't speak English at all?"
「なんで日本でもう少し勉強してから来ないの？お金の無駄じゃない？」
"Why don't they come here after they study English a bit more? Isn't it a waste of money (coming here for such a short time)?"
それに対して議論するのも面倒だから「う～ん、まぁ。。。」と答えてしまう私。
Well, I usually can't be bothered, so I just say "Yes... Maybe you are right..."
私だって日本にいる頃は、英語圏にさえ行けば英語ができるようになるのではないかと夢いっぱいだったし、だから高校の時に２週間だけだったけどアメリカに行ったし。
When I was younger, I always thought I could have learned English if I had visited an English speaking country, so I went to LA for 2 weeks when I was a senior high school student.
その時は自分は充分英語を勉強したと思っていたし。
At that time, I thought I had studied English well enough.
確かに２週間程度英語圏に来たって英語ができるようになるわけじゃないけど、私はあの時にアメリカに行って、それまでの考えが甘かったことに気付いたから今があると思ってます。
It is impossible to learn English by just being in an English speaking country, but that experience gave me an opportunity to face the reality. Without that experience, I would not be speaking English now.
県でトップの高校にいる甥も英語の成績はいいのでかなり自信を持っていたようですけど、こっちに来て夫の両親が言っていることが分からなくてショックを受けたらしいし、それがきっかけで今後英語を勉強し続けて話せるようになれば「お金の無駄」にはならないと思います。最初からできる人なんていないんだし。
My nephew, who is a student of the top senior high school in the prefecture, was confident in speaking English when he came over; but he was disappointed when he could not understand what my parents-in-law were saying. If he ends up as a fluent English speaker, I do not think that experience was a waste of money. No one speaks second language just a few weeks' study.
小学生の低学年とかだとイマイチ真剣味がなくて、「親に連れて来られた」という感覚でしょうし、やはりある程度の年齢にならないとありがたみは感じないと思うんです。だから、中学後半～高校で、まずはトライアル程度の感覚でちょっとだけ来るというのはいいような気がします。それから真剣に数年勉強して１年来るとか、大学を卒業してからワーホリで来るとか、その後のプランも立てやすくなると思うんです。
If children are too young, they will not feel the need to learn English. They would rather feel they are brought here by their parents. I think they should be a bit older to appreciate their experience. So, I believe it is a good idea to come here for a few weeks as a trial. Then, they can come here longer, for example for a year, after studying English harder, or come here with a working holiday visa after graduating from university. Their short visit experience will make it easier to plan their future.
今度は面倒がらずに反論してみようと思います。
Maybe next time when I am asked such questions, I will try explain it to the people.