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To be familiar with the kinds of formulaic expressions used by speakers of a language as markers of politeness, is a knowledg which is indispensable to the acquisition of communicative competence in lan-guage. Such expressions can present many pitfalls for the learner who is not fully aware of their conditions of use. A failure to grasp the often subtle differences between first language and target language formulas can lead to serious misunderstandings and misjudgements.