Home Linguistics & Semiotics Chapter 17. Understanding the nature of bilingual aphasia
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Chapter 17. Understanding the nature of bilingual aphasia

Diagnosis, assessment and rehabilitation
  • Swathi Kiran and Teresa Gray
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Bilingual Cognition and Language
This chapter is in the book Bilingual Cognition and Language

Abstract

In this chapter, we review the current state of the science with regards to bilingual aphasia. Four important themes emerge from this research. First, bilingual aphasia is an exponentially complex manifestation of a dynamic interaction between age of acquisition, exposure, proficiency, and impairment after brain damage. Second, findings of language coactivation have implications for bilingual aphasia rehabilitation in terms of whether cross language generalization can be expected or not. Third, few studies on bilingual aphasia have begun to examine this notion of domain general versus domain specific language and cognitive control. Finally, there are structural and functional changes in the bilingual brain, and in the case of brain damage, these changes can impact the extent of language impairment and recovery.

Abstract

In this chapter, we review the current state of the science with regards to bilingual aphasia. Four important themes emerge from this research. First, bilingual aphasia is an exponentially complex manifestation of a dynamic interaction between age of acquisition, exposure, proficiency, and impairment after brain damage. Second, findings of language coactivation have implications for bilingual aphasia rehabilitation in terms of whether cross language generalization can be expected or not. Third, few studies on bilingual aphasia have begun to examine this notion of domain general versus domain specific language and cognitive control. Finally, there are structural and functional changes in the bilingual brain, and in the case of brain damage, these changes can impact the extent of language impairment and recovery.

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