INTERCULTURAL MISUNDERSTANDINGS CAUSED BY COMPLIMENT AND COMPLAINT STRATEGIES

Abstract

This article examines intercultural misunderstandings caused by compliment and complaint strategies in English and Russian communication. The study focuses on pragmatic differences in expressing praise, dissatisfaction, and emotional attitudes in everyday interactions. English speakers often prefer indirect and polite forms of compliments and complaints, while Russian speakers may demonstrate greater directness and emotional expressiveness. These differences can lead to misinterpretation, communication barriers, and pragmatic failure in intercultural contexts. The research analyzes examples of spoken and written discourse to identify culturally specific communication patterns. Special attention is given to politeness strategies, face-saving mechanisms, and sociocultural norms influencing speech behavior. The article also discusses how intercultural awareness and pragmatic competence can improve communication between representatives of different linguistic cultures. The findings contribute to the field of intercultural pragmatics and may be useful for language learners, translators, and intercultural communication researchers.