Self-reported communicative distance between Polish and English in formal and informal situational contexts

Abstract This study explores the issue of communicative distance between Polish and English; its perception and conceptualization, as a function of self-reflection, are related to individual, socio-cultural and environmental, as well as linguistic factors. The aim of the article is to prove that the communicative distance is different while speaking Polish (L1) and English (L2). It was assumed that on the basis of an interlocutor’s self-reported observation and evaluation of verbal and nonverbal cues, it is possible to prove the existence of communicative distance. The research results revealed that in formal English conversations, distance was perceived as shorter than in formal Polish conversations, but in informal conversations, there were no significant differences. Due to gradual language development and absorption of English words into Polish, the study relies on a retrospective data analysis to find out the possible changes in communicative distance perception. The data was retrieved from a series of two surveys conducted in 2008 (n = 150) and 2016 (n = 150) among Poles who use English as a second language.