A01 cohe4573 01 se fm. Qxd

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T H E N U T S A N D B O L T S O F P R A G M A T I C S I N S T R U C T I O N
F I G U R E 7 . 1 Compliment about a shirt
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Wolfson and Manes (Manes and Wolfson 1981; Wolfson and Manes 1980)
researched 1,200 naturally occurring compliments and found that 97% employed one
of the nine grammatical structures identified.
this information),
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along with some interactional practice using these words and 
structures.
B Student research and analysis of language and contextual factors
In this portion of the instruction, learners observe complimenting behavior of pragmatically
competent speakers of English in the community. Using the format on the handout (see
the sample material below) learners are to record three or more compliments that they
give, receive, or overhear outside of class, and to analyze the overall level of perceived sin-
cerity, spontaneity, and appropriateness of each interaction in consideration of the given
contextual factors (e.g., age, gender, social status, role, and distance of the conversation
partners, and the language and the topic of complimenting). This process of data collec-
tion and analysis can be modeled using a film clip, such as a scene from the film, Father of
the Bride (see the transcription and analysis to be modeled to learners in the material
below). Alternatively, learners can be asked to give compliments and record their own
interactions. In offering a compliment, learners are advised to be mindful of appropriate
topics in relation to the recipient of the compliment and the context of each interaction.

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C L A S S O B S E R V A T I O N A N D T E A C H I N G D E M O N S T R A T I O N S
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This initial learner involvement in notebook data collection can raise learners’ pragmatic
awareness, provide authentic linguistic input/output, and create a learner-centered class.
Since complimenting could be naturally initiated by learners, they can practice it with other
speakers within the course of conversation. Learners review these written interactions
repeatedly during the subsequent stages of instruction in order to do the following:
■
analyze the grammatical structure and adjectives used in the compliments given;
■
assess the level of perceived sincerity, spontaneity, and appropriateness of the
interactions; and
■
analyze the compliment response strategies used.
C Additional analysis of pragmatic norms related to compliments
A short reading assignment can include excerpts about positive values of mainstream
Americans
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and prompts for critical reflection (e.g., Does this positive value of being 
slender apply to both men and women in the US? Why/why not?; What possible danger
can accompany a compliment on lost weight?; What does it mean in mainstream American
culture when new appearances or possessions are not complimented on?). Teacher 
feedback can be given individually in writing or be provided to the whole class.
D Responses to compliments
At this stage, learners are introduced to and practice a variety of strategies for responding
to compliments, such as:
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■
showing appreciation (Thank you);
■
agreeing (Yeah, it’s my favorite too);
■
downgrading (It’s really quite old);
■
questioning (Do you really think so?);
■
commenting on history (I bought it for the trip to Arizona);
■
shifting credit (My brother gave it to me); and
■
returning the compliment (So is yours).
Short sample exchanges
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illustrating the strategies listed above are introduced to learners
first without the labels in order to stimulate their powers of observation. Then learners
come up with other examples for each strategy or look back at their own data to analyze
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Passages taken from Wolfson (1983: 113–14).
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See Chapter 4 or Herbert and Straight (1989: 39) for more complete lists of com-
pliment response strategies.
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See Billmyer (1990: 36) and Ishihara (2003a) for examples.

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