Politeness of the youth – responses to praises and compliments

Abstract

The article analyses responses to the acts of partner’s positive evaluation (praises and compliments). However, I focus on the language of young people because I want to show changes in the courtesy of Poles. Contemporary cultural tendencies attack especially young people, who – under their influence – often revalue existing habits and patterns of their behavior. It seems that these changes are most visible in the young generation. Traditional Polish politeness can be combined with the attitude of modesty, i.e. with diminishing the speaker’s role. Nowadays, however, it can be observed that young people’s behavior is not compatible with this rule. It includes, among others, responses to compliments and praises, embodying the principle of agreeing with the speaker. It is a new linguistic behavior gaining more and more supporters
not only among young people.