A Conversation Analysis on Social Interaction

(Compliment and Its responses)

Abstract

This study examines the speech act of complimenting and its responses in naturally occurring phone conversations between friends, aiming to understand how interpersonal meaning, identity, and social norms are negotiated through language. Compliments function as positive evaluations that enhance face, express solidarity, and perform identity work, while responses reveal politeness orientations and cultural attitudes toward modesty.

Using a corpus of audio-recorded conversations, the study analyzes types of compliments, response strategies, and politeness mechanisms. Findings show that intensifiers, both prosodic (e.g., rising intonation, vowel lengthening) and morphological (e.g., so, very) are frequently used to strengthen face-enhancing effects. Responses range from acceptance (Thank you) to rejection (no) and topic shifts, often used to avoid self-praise.

These findings are supported by cross-cultural studies and contribute to the field of pragmatics by highlighting how compliments manage relationships and identity. The study also offers practical implications for developing pragmatic competence in language learners.