As a symbol of ethnicity, language provides an important perspective in ethnic studies. Drawing upon research on the Acculturation Model of second language acquisition associated with ethnic studies, this paper examines survey materials on the social distance and psychological distance affecting Malaysian Chinese in their acquisition of Malay language. From a discussion of the extent of adaptation to Malay culture among Malaysian Chinese at different levels of Malay language proficiency, it is possible to derive some insights on the ethnic identity of the Chinese in Malaysia.