Issues of language choice, ethics and equity: Japanese retirees living in Malaysia as their second home

Abstract This paper will discuss two issues related to Japanese retirees adopting Malaysia as their second home. The first is that of the preferred language choice of the retirees. To collect data for language choice a self-report questionnaire was administered and an interview was conducted. The findings suggest that the majority of the retirees chose English for both informal and formal interactions in Malaysia. It may be inferred that they are not motivated to learn the local language although quite clearly that would facilitate intercultural communication with the locals. Based on these findings we examine the ethical considerations underlying their language preferences. We assume that they have positioned themselves as sojourners who have come to reside in Malaysia principally to enjoy their retirement, rather than as settlers. We have named this unique situation – contemplation – based on an observation of their emotional adaptation to the new environment since their personal needs are taken care of...