A study investigated different cultural perceptions of the appropriateness of advice-giving in native speakers of English (NSs) and non-native speakers (NNSs). Using a questionnaire, 172 NNS college students and 31 NS college students were administered a questionnaire in which 16 everyday situations involving either social superiors or peers were presented and several options for appropriate speech acts were offered. In each case, the choices were among (1) direct advice involving the modal "should," (2) hedged advice using "need to" or other softeners or hedging devices, lexical hedging ("maybe, I think"), or questions, and (3) indirect comment including no advice or suggestions. Results indicate that NSs and NNSs have similar perceptions of the social distance in situations with a superior or peer, but show substantial differences in the patterns of advice they viewed as the best choice. NNSs chose to advise the superior and peer with frequency and on topics that would not be considered appropriate in the Anglo-American culture. It is suggested that NNSs have a different goal orientation than NSs and may compensate for lack of access to appropriate second-language communicative and solidarity strategies by using accessible first- and second-language knowledge of politeness rules in inappropriate ways. Contains 52 references. (MSE)