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Chapter 24. Language use in international retirement migration

The case of Scandinavian retirees in Alicante, Spain
  • Per Gustafson and Ann Elisabeth Laksfoss Cardozo
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Advances in Interdisciplinary Language Policy
This chapter is in the book Advances in Interdisciplinary Language Policy

Abstract

Most research on migration and language has examined labour, refugee or family migrants. International retirement migration provides a different perspective on mobility, inclusion and multilingualism. The present chapter examines language use, linguistic challenges and linguistic strategies in the context of retirement migration from Scandinavia to the Alicante province in Spain. Interviews with retired migrants and local key persons showed that retirees often found it difficult to learn the local language, but that a range of other linguistic strategies were available to them. These strategies involved using either their native language or English. Use of the native language occurred in expatriate communities and in settings where interpretation or translation was available. Intercomprehension among retirees speaking different Scandinavian languages was also observed. A final native language strategy was exit – a temporary or in some cases permanent return to the retiree’s (former) home country. The chapter summarises these observations in a typology of linguistic strategies. It also highlights a number of context-specific conditions for these strategies in the case under study – the presence of well-established expatriate communities, the association between retirement migration and tourism, and the widespread use of English as a lingua franca. Given this particular linguistic landscape, Scandinavian retirees were mostly able to manage everyday communication without knowing much Spanish. Serious language-related problems appeared in specific situations, mainly related to health and elderly care, contacts with legal authorities, certain housing-related matters, and emergencies.

Abstract

Most research on migration and language has examined labour, refugee or family migrants. International retirement migration provides a different perspective on mobility, inclusion and multilingualism. The present chapter examines language use, linguistic challenges and linguistic strategies in the context of retirement migration from Scandinavia to the Alicante province in Spain. Interviews with retired migrants and local key persons showed that retirees often found it difficult to learn the local language, but that a range of other linguistic strategies were available to them. These strategies involved using either their native language or English. Use of the native language occurred in expatriate communities and in settings where interpretation or translation was available. Intercomprehension among retirees speaking different Scandinavian languages was also observed. A final native language strategy was exit – a temporary or in some cases permanent return to the retiree’s (former) home country. The chapter summarises these observations in a typology of linguistic strategies. It also highlights a number of context-specific conditions for these strategies in the case under study – the presence of well-established expatriate communities, the association between retirement migration and tourism, and the widespread use of English as a lingua franca. Given this particular linguistic landscape, Scandinavian retirees were mostly able to manage everyday communication without knowing much Spanish. Serious language-related problems appeared in specific situations, mainly related to health and elderly care, contacts with legal authorities, certain housing-related matters, and emergencies.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Acknowledgements ix
  4. List of contributors xi
  5. Part I. Setting the scene
  6. Chapter 1. General introduction 3
  7. Chapter 2. Principles of integrated language policy 23
  8. Part II. Politics
  9. Chapter 3. Cross-jurisdictional linguistic cooperation in multilingual federations 45
  10. Chapter 4. How to upgrade the status of migrant languages in the European Union 67
  11. Chapter 5. Inclusion and mobility in the multilingual region of Vojvodina 87
  12. Part III. Society
  13. Chapter 6. Language and inclusion in a multilingual environment 111
  14. Chapter 7. The politics of inclusion, citizenship and multilingualism 129
  15. Chapter 8. Urban multilingualism 151
  16. Part IV. Education
  17. Chapter 9. Metalinguistic awareness in education as a tool for enhancing social inclusion 173
  18. Chapter 10. Educational capacity-building for linguistic inclusion and mobility 195
  19. Chapter 11. Higher education language policies for mobility and inclusion 215
  20. Part V. Mediation
  21. Chapter 12. Portraying linguistic exclusion 237
  22. Chapter 13. Migrants’ attitudes towards community interpreting 257
  23. Chapter 14. The language choices of exchange students 275
  24. Chapter 15. The role of intercomprehension in short-term mobility experiences in multilingual contexts 297
  25. Part VI. Policy
  26. Chapter 16. Effectiveness of policy measures and language dynamics 319
  27. Chapter 17. The ontology of the linguistic territoriality principle 343
  28. Chapter 18. Justifying language policies in mobile societies 361
  29. Chapter 19. Complexity in language matters 381
  30. Chapter 20. Language, mobility and inclusion 405
  31. Part VII. Frontiers of multilingualism
  32. Chapter 21. Multilingualism and security 427
  33. Chapter 22. Multilingualism and consumer protection 451
  34. Chapter 23. ‘Learning all from all’ 473
  35. Chapter 24. Language use in international retirement migration 487
  36. Chapter 25. Multilingualism and creativity 509
  37. Chapter 26. Does global English influence the perception of professional ethical dilemmas? 531
  38. Author index 555
  39. Subject index 565
https://doi.org/10.1075/wlp.9.24gus

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Acknowledgements ix
  4. List of contributors xi
  5. Part I. Setting the scene
  6. Chapter 1. General introduction 3
  7. Chapter 2. Principles of integrated language policy 23
  8. Part II. Politics
  9. Chapter 3. Cross-jurisdictional linguistic cooperation in multilingual federations 45
  10. Chapter 4. How to upgrade the status of migrant languages in the European Union 67
  11. Chapter 5. Inclusion and mobility in the multilingual region of Vojvodina 87
  12. Part III. Society
  13. Chapter 6. Language and inclusion in a multilingual environment 111
  14. Chapter 7. The politics of inclusion, citizenship and multilingualism 129
  15. Chapter 8. Urban multilingualism 151
  16. Part IV. Education
  17. Chapter 9. Metalinguistic awareness in education as a tool for enhancing social inclusion 173
  18. Chapter 10. Educational capacity-building for linguistic inclusion and mobility 195
  19. Chapter 11. Higher education language policies for mobility and inclusion 215
  20. Part V. Mediation
  21. Chapter 12. Portraying linguistic exclusion 237
  22. Chapter 13. Migrants’ attitudes towards community interpreting 257
  23. Chapter 14. The language choices of exchange students 275
  24. Chapter 15. The role of intercomprehension in short-term mobility experiences in multilingual contexts 297
  25. Part VI. Policy
  26. Chapter 16. Effectiveness of policy measures and language dynamics 319
  27. Chapter 17. The ontology of the linguistic territoriality principle 343
  28. Chapter 18. Justifying language policies in mobile societies 361
  29. Chapter 19. Complexity in language matters 381
  30. Chapter 20. Language, mobility and inclusion 405
  31. Part VII. Frontiers of multilingualism
  32. Chapter 21. Multilingualism and security 427
  33. Chapter 22. Multilingualism and consumer protection 451
  34. Chapter 23. ‘Learning all from all’ 473
  35. Chapter 24. Language use in international retirement migration 487
  36. Chapter 25. Multilingualism and creativity 509
  37. Chapter 26. Does global English influence the perception of professional ethical dilemmas? 531
  38. Author index 555
  39. Subject index 565
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