THE SPEECH ACT SET OF DIRECT COMPLAINTS IN AMERICAN AND RUSSIAN CULTURES Beata Gallaher Independent Scholar (USA) beata.moskala@gmail.com This study investigates the speech act set of direct complaints performed by American speakers and Russian native speakers. <...> This article explores the semantic categories that speakers in each language group used to structure their complaints and the order of occurrences of the categories from the point of view of face-saving strategies, as defined by Brown and Levinson (1978 [1987]). <...> The findings demonstrate that speakers in each language group used the same range of semantic categories to structure their complaints. <...> However, the frequency and the order of the categories greatly differed, which revealed differences in politeness norms and cultural values in American and Russian cultures. <...> Key words: Direct complaints, face-saving strategies, politeness, English, Russian, cross-cultural communication Introduction While there is a growing body of research on speech acts across cultures, the empirical data on direct complaints remains scant (Schaefer 1982; Piotrowska 1987; Olshtain and Weinbach 1987, 1993; Trosborg 1995; Arent 1996; Murphy and Neu 1996; Kraft and Geluykens 2002, 2007; Tanck 2002; Tran 2002; Gershenson 1994, 2003; Umar 2006; Prykarpatska 2008). <...> The research on complaints is important for investigating politeness in problem negotiations and exploring the effect of cultural values on social interactions both within and across cultures. <...> Given the limited research on complaints, this study investigates the speech act of direct complaints (DCs) that occurs when a speaker addresses a complaint toward a hearer and holds him or her accountable for their dissatisfaction, as defined by Boxer (1993) (1). <...> The primary goal of this research is to establish semantic strategies that American and Russian native speakers use to structure their complaints. <...> The present study explores the strategies from the point of view of politeness theory, as defined by Brown and Levinson (1978 [1987]). <...> Based on empirical data, this study will provide valuable insights into linguistic politeness and cultural values in American and Russian cultures. <...> Politeness and the notion of face in Brown and Levinson’s (1987) politeness theory Scholars commonly have conceptualized linguistic politeness as strategies that speakers employ to avoid conflicts in communication (Lakoff 1973; Leech 1983; Brown <...>