Pedagogical Description of Compliment-Response Exchanges in a British Context for Chinese EFL Learners

Abstract

In this study I reviewed and considered the main issues about the multi-functional speech act of complimenting behaviour and compliment responses. I conducted a small-scaled conversational analysis with the elicitation of discourse completion tests. From the responses of the discourse completion tests I identified the preferred response strategies of NSs of British English and consider the variables of power and distance in the styles of talking. Besides, the preferred follow-up of different compliment responses are discovered and exemplified with linear flow charts and examples. Based on the “authentic” material I retrieved from DCTs and conventional teaching pedagogies, I devised some exercises that stimulate learner’s consciousness of the cross-cultural differences and language appropriateness. A meaning-crossed activity and language forms exercises are also included into the supplementary material.