Rediscovering language: The interplay of language in the rehabilitation process from brain injury and aphasia.

摘要

This research study explores the interplay of language in the rehabilitation process from brain injury and aphasia. The focus of the investigation is on the story of one man, Norman, who experiences life after a head injury and, as a result, is living with aphasia. In this research study there is a discussion from multiple disciplines; neurolinguistic, sociolinguistic, cultural, historical, psychological, neuroscientific, aesthetic and, above all, humanistic. There is a contribution of many theoreticians to the conceptualization of the theoretical framework that was built in a dynamic process of visiting and revisiting different theoreticians from these multiple disciplines. Hence, in this study I examine and challenge orthodoxies. I reject the way in which competence is assessed and question the validity of performance as a true reflection of competence.; The qualitative nature of the study permits an in-depth investigation of language after experiencing brain injury and aphasia. By using qualitative data collection including ethnographic systematic note-taking, audio-taping and close qualitative data analysis, I was able to look closely at Norman's language use and hear his story.; The ultimate goal of this research study was to find an alternative way for Norman to express himself. Through the experience of automatic writing, and with aesthetic and authentic experiences with language, Norman discovers poetry. The poems allow Norman to voice his thoughts and feelings. From the work with Norman, specifically through his poetry, several themes arose that at times overlapped with one another: Norman's relationship with written and oral language, writing as therapy, the role of poetry in his writing, the significant role of the memory of movement in the recovery from a brain injury and, within it, the aesthetic experience and the function of metaphors in his language. The seventh theme, which emerged from the first six themes, relates to the way Norman perceived himself as a competent or incompetent being and the way in which language influenced his self-image. One of the last themes is the function of art as expressive language and as a mode of healing.