The aim of this study is to investigate how L2 learners develop their ways of expressing compliments in L2 as a result of a virtual exchange. Although compliments play an important role in the discourse of second language (L2) classrooms studies exploring production of this speech act among L2 learners are limited. This study explores how 18 participants realised the speech act of complimenting in English before and after their virtual exchange. L2 learners of English from Poland met in groups for six weeks, via video conferencing, with Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) teacher candidates from a university in the USA. During online sessions, the eighteen L2 learners' primary focus was on discussion in English. Quantitative content analyses were completed on the students' production and were further analysed qualitatively using NVivo 12 into researcher-created categories. The data provided evidence of change from pre- to post-testing in the ways the compliments were formulated by the L2 learners and of transition from strong L1-culture transfer, to some more appropriate use of the formulaic sequences in L2.