Lexico-Syntactic Retrival and Cohesive Speech in Sinhala-English Speaking Bilingual Aphasics

Abstract

Introduction: The asymmetrical effects on the languages of an aphasic bilingual and the subsequent patterns of recovery have continually questioned the underlying representation and control of language. The linguistic environment within which a word is recalled is thought a key determiner. Discourse analysis provides an unprecedented opportunity for a realistic assessment of word recall performance. Need: The akin and atypical lexico-syntactic features of Sinhala and English may indicate novel and distinctive patterns of bilingual aphasic language errors. Aim: To compare and contrast unit retrieval skills in naming and connected speech tasks in Sinhala speaking monolinguals and Sinhala-English speaking Bilingual, healthy controls and Persons with Aphasia (PwA). Methodology: The first phase of the four-phased study involves the preparation and translation of three, originally English, test material, the development of a Language Proficiency Questionnaire (LPQ) and pictorial stimuli for connected speech sample elicitation. A pilot trial is conducted in phase two and primary testing, in phase three. Based on phase-specific objectives of the study, monolingual (Sinhala) and bilingual (Sinhala- English) PwA and healthy controls are recruited. Participants will be sampled purposively and selected through stringent eligibility criteria. Accessible information guidelines of the British Stoke Association are employed. The main test protocol includes a naming task, narrative discourse, procedural discourse and a conversational speech. The fourth and final phase would further analyze the findings in phase three. Analysis: Micro and macro-structural analysis of the speech samples; across groups and languages, for error patterns through various levels of language production, utilization of linguistic cues and methods of self-correction. Anticipated Implications: Findings are expected to challenge the wide spread practice of utilizing clinical data and material developed for other languages. Instead, it aims to highlight the need for tailor made assessment and treatment protocols, unique to the Sri Lankan clinical context.