COMPLIMENTS AND COMPLIMENT RESPONSES ACROSS BORDERS: LANGUAGE AND CULTURAL CHANGE AMONG THE NEW GENERATION OF MALAYS

Abstract

This conceptual paper provides an overview of previous studies on compliments and compliment responses in several parts of the world. It discusses compliments and compliment responses in both Western and Asian contexts and demonstrates the acquisition of similar values among respondents from different geographical regions in performing the speech act. As people are normally bound with their societies’ traditional values and norms of interaction, they are expected to perceive compliments differently and act upon it based on the strategies prescribed in their cultures. However, cultural globalization or the acquisition of common cultures due to the online social networking experience and popular culture media has modified people’s communication strategies and behavior. The acceptance of many foreign values has transformed the new generation of Malays into a modern society that appreciates differences and highly adaptable to various changes in their environment.