 Re: Thank you.... You're welcome???
I can only tell you how it is in California. I'm a native speaker. The use of the language and the level of formality are very important. Yes, I have used "you're welcome" for many years (I learned it as a child) and it is very polite. I teach it to my students. Say there is a job interview. If the interviewer says, "Thank you," he or she almost expects the candidate to say, "You're welcome." If I was the candidate, there's no way I would say, "No problem"! Yes, I have used "no problem" countless times in my life. But in a formal setting I certainly would not use it. To me it says that whatever I did for the other person was no problem or inconvenience to me. I never say, and would never teach, "not at all." I like "my pleasure," I use it sometimes and teach it to intermediate or advanced students if I get any of those levels. |