O KILKU PRZEJAWACH BARIER W KOMUNIKACJI MIĘDZYPOKOLENIOWEJ
On a Few Aspects of Barriers in Intergenerational Communication

Summary/Abstract: An attempt to seize the Polish language in its dynamic development is based on two major concepts introduced to the social communication theory; these are communication competence and intergenerational barrier. As far as the former is concerned, the external factors determining culture, including language, cause that the language carriers must continually correct and enrich their competence so as not to expose themselves to the consequences of unfortunate discrepancies in discourse. If, for example, a representative of the 'grandpas generation' has an ambition to catch up with the 'grandchildren generation', s/he should understand the language games the young play (życie na maksa 'life to the max', luzik 'being cool', ścieżka 'motorway'). If the young are anxious to have proper contacts with the elderly, they should respect a minimum of polite forms (pan/pani 'Sir/Madame') contact, a few basic speech acts (e.g. making requests, saying thank you) and a concept of keeping a distance in relations with others, superiors, the older. The paper includes examples of the barriers appearing when both generations do not realize the above mentioned rules. The generation of the ones born BEFORE 1989 and of those born AFTER the date keep distancing themselves from each other every single day. An influx of English acronyms surprises all. Students asked about the meaning of Hi-Fi acronym are still able to decipher it, but in case of High Definition (the language of advertising), they are helpless. They cannot catch up with absorbing foreign elements, they lose a considerable part of cultural heritage (e.g. mówienie kimś - Przyborą 'speaking somebody - Przybora').

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