Foreign language learners responding to thanks

Abstract This study sets out to investigate the extent to which proficiency enhances foreign language (FL) learners’ pragmatic competence in responding to thanks. Drawing on data from Greek FL learners of two proficiency levels (lower-intermediate and advanced) and supplemented by verbal reports, it compares the learners’ production of thanks responders with that of native speakers in different thanking situations. The analysis of the data indicates that proficiency level has no significant effect on the learners’ ability to produce thanks responders in a context-sensitive fashion. It is suggested that the foreign language environment is far from ideal for the development of culturally specific and conventionalised speech acts.