At present, approximately two thirds of the world’s population is bilingual. Globalisation, migration and decreasing gaps between different cultures and countries make the ability to speak two or more languages necessary, and, consequently, the number of bilingual people increases steadily. The ever-increasing, significant number of people speaking two or more languages has caused high interest, among psychologists, educators and also psycholinguists, in the cognitive and cerebral study of the bilingual. An important part of the research is the study of bilingual aphasia, meaning the loss of the capability to comprehend and/or speak a language, either totally or in part, which is a result of brain injuries often caused by diseases, such as strokes or tumours, war injuries or car accidents (cf. Myers-Scotton 2006: 317). Studying bilingual aphasia and its impacts on the bilingual’s different languages contributes to finding an answer to the question of how two or more languages are organised and represented in the brain. In so doing, this field of research posits hypotheses concerning the cerebral organisation of language in general and the parts of the brain which function for its production. After having defined the terms bilingualism and bilingual, which is a necessary prerequisite to avoid confusing ambiguities in the following text, this essay will illustrate the most common patterns of language recovery and their relative incidence. This illustration will be followed by an overview of early suggested and attempted explanations for the questions about which brain mechanisms are responsible for the various patterns, why a certain patient shows a certain recovery pattern and why one language in some cases remains more intact than the other, or why sometimes one is preserved, while the other is lost entirely. Finally, the essay will outline the findings of recent research and their contribution to the cognitive study of language.
Table of Contents
- 1 INTRODUCTION
- 2 WHO IS A BILINGUAL?
- 3 LANGUAGE RECOVERY PATTERNS IN BILINGUAL APHASICS
- 3.1 THE BASIC RECOVERY PATTERNS
- 3.2 INCIDENCE
- 3.4 EARLY ATTEMPTED EXPLANATIONS
- 4 RECENT FINDINGS
- 4.1 THE LOCALISATION OF MULTIPLE LANGUAGES IN ONE BRAIN
- 4.2 THE ACTIVATION THRESHOLD HYPOTHESIS
- 5 CONCLUSION
Objectives and Key Themes
This essay aims to explore the complexities of bilingual aphasia, focusing on language recovery patterns and their underlying neurological mechanisms. It seeks to clarify the definition of bilingualism, analyze common recovery patterns, and examine historical and contemporary explanations for the diverse ways in which bilingual individuals recover language after brain injury.
- Defining Bilingualism
- Language Recovery Patterns in Bilingual Aphasia
- Incidence of Different Recovery Patterns
- Early and Recent Explanations for Recovery Patterns
- The Neurological Organization of Multiple Languages
Chapter Summaries
1 INTRODUCTION: This introductory chapter establishes the context for the study of bilingual aphasia. It highlights the increasing global prevalence of bilingualism due to globalization and migration, emphasizing the growing need for research into the cognitive and neurological aspects of bilingual language processing. The chapter introduces the concept of bilingual aphasia – the loss of language abilities due to brain injury – and its significance in understanding language organization in the brain. It outlines the essay's structure, promising to define bilingualism, detail language recovery patterns, explore historical and contemporary explanatory models, and ultimately contribute to a deeper understanding of the cognitive study of language.
2 WHO IS A BILINGUAL?: This chapter delves into the complexities of defining "bilingualism." It reveals the lack of a universally agreed-upon definition, highlighting the discrepancies among researchers and the ambiguity in existing definitions. The chapter discusses how definitions vary based on criteria such as proficiency level, frequency of language use, context of acquisition, and structural differences between the languages involved. It examines various perspectives, including those emphasizing the level of proficiency required to be considered bilingual, and illustrates the challenges of defining bilingualism based solely on the ability to speak two languages. The chapter concludes by adopting a working definition suitable for the subsequent discussion of bilingual aphasia.
3 LANGUAGE RECOVERY PATTERNS IN BILINGUAL APHASICS: This chapter focuses on the various patterns of language recovery observed in bilingual aphasics, emphasizing the importance of this research for understanding brain organization and improving rehabilitation programs. It introduces Paradis' six basic recovery patterns: parallel, differential, successive, antagonistic, selective, and blended recovery. Each pattern is described in detail, outlining the characteristics and distinguishing features of each. The chapter also acknowledges that these patterns do not encompass all cases and that there are exceptions and nuances to the categorization.
3.1 THE BASIC RECOVERY PATTERNS: This section provides a detailed description of the six basic patterns of language recovery in bilingual aphasics initially categorized by Paradis. These patterns describe different ways in which bilingual individuals regain lost language abilities following brain damage: from parallel recovery (equal impairment and recovery across languages) to antagonistic recovery (where the recovery of one language hinders the other). The section highlights the non-mutually exclusive nature of these categories, emphasizing that they may evolve over time.
3.2 INCIDENCE: This section addresses the known incidence of the different language recovery patterns discussed earlier. Due to limitations in available data, it presents preliminary findings based on a limited number of case studies, noting the need for further research. It points to the inherent biases in the data, such as the potential underrepresentation of parallel recovery cases (the least striking pattern) and the possibility of undiagnosed selective aphasia cases due to limited testing in only one language. The development of the Bilingual Aphasia Test (BAT) is highlighted as a tool designed to improve future assessment of bilingual aphasia.
3.4 EARLY ATTEMPTED EXPLANATIONS: This section explores early attempts at explaining the varied patterns of language recovery in bilingual aphasics. It delves into the historical context of these investigations, tracing back to the late 19th century and examining early efforts to understand why language recovery differs between languages in individuals with bilingual aphasia. The section paves the way for understanding the more recent research presented in subsequent chapters.
Keywords
Bilingual aphasia, language recovery, bilingualism, parallel recovery, differential recovery, successive recovery, antagonistic recovery, selective recovery, blended recovery, brain organization, language representation, cognitive neuroscience, rehabilitation.
Frequently Asked Questions: A Study of Bilingual Aphasia
What is the overall topic of this text?
This text is a comprehensive overview of bilingual aphasia, focusing on language recovery patterns and their neurological underpinnings. It explores the complexities of defining bilingualism, analyzes various language recovery patterns in bilingual aphasics, and examines both historical and contemporary explanations for these patterns.
What are the key themes explored in this text?
The key themes include: defining bilingualism; examining language recovery patterns in bilingual aphasia (including parallel, differential, successive, antagonistic, selective, and blended recovery); analyzing the incidence of these patterns; exploring historical and contemporary explanations for these patterns; and understanding the neurological organization of multiple languages in the brain.
What is bilingual aphasia?
Bilingual aphasia refers to the loss of language abilities in individuals who speak two or more languages, resulting from brain injury. The study of bilingual aphasia is crucial for understanding how languages are organized and processed in the brain.
How does this text define bilingualism?
The text acknowledges the lack of a universally accepted definition of bilingualism, highlighting the variations based on proficiency, frequency of use, context of acquisition, and structural differences between languages. It ultimately adopts a working definition suitable for its analysis of bilingual aphasia, though the complexities of definition are thoroughly discussed.
What are the main language recovery patterns in bilingual aphasia?
The text details six basic recovery patterns initially categorized by Paradis: parallel (equal impairment and recovery), differential (unequal impairment and recovery), successive (recovery of one language before the other), antagonistic (recovery of one language hindering the other), selective (recovery of one language only), and blended (features of multiple patterns). It emphasizes that these are not mutually exclusive and can evolve over time.
What is the incidence of different language recovery patterns?
The text discusses the incidence of these patterns, acknowledging limitations in existing data and the need for further research. It notes potential biases in the data, such as underrepresentation of certain patterns and difficulties in diagnosis due to limitations in assessment tools. The development of the Bilingual Aphasia Test (BAT) is highlighted as a step towards improving future assessments.
What are the historical and contemporary explanations for language recovery patterns in bilingual aphasia?
The text explores both early (late 19th century and beyond) and recent attempts to explain these patterns. Early attempts are reviewed, setting the stage for understanding the more sophisticated contemporary models, such as the activation threshold hypothesis (discussed in the text).
What is the activation threshold hypothesis?
While not explicitly detailed, the text mentions the "activation threshold hypothesis" as a contemporary explanation for language recovery patterns. This suggests that the recovery of a language depends on its activation threshold in the brain.
What is the structure of the text?
The text is structured into chapters covering an introduction, a definition of bilingualism, an exploration of language recovery patterns, a review of early and recent explanatory models, and a conclusion. Subsections further delve into the specifics of language recovery patterns and their incidence.
What are the keywords associated with this text?
Keywords include: Bilingual aphasia, language recovery, bilingualism, parallel recovery, differential recovery, successive recovery, antagonistic recovery, selective recovery, blended recovery, brain organization, language representation, cognitive neuroscience, and rehabilitation.
- Quote paper
- Theresa Weisensee (Author), 2007, The Research of Bilingual Aphasia and Its Contribution to the Study of Multiple Languages in One Brain, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/149477
