Browsing by Author "Atapattu-Bakmeewewa, A.D.S."

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A Comparison of errors in languages spoken by Sinhala-English bilinguals with post-stroke Aphasia
(Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya, 2014) Dharmarathna, I.; Atapattu-Bakmeewewa, A.D.S.
Bilinguals are defined as those who use two languages in daily communication. Aphasia as an acquired language disorder virtually affects all languages of the bilingual speaker, often in varying degrees. The Clinical picture of the bilingual aphasic is of great interest to researchers, as the bilingual population of the world continues to increase. Many studies have focused on the language recovery patterns and comparison of language errors in bilingual aphasia in overseas contexts. As a multi- ethnic country, bilingualism continues to grow in Sri Lanka. The knowledge of multiple languages has led to the functional elaboration of all languages known especially in Sinhala-English bilinguals. Yet, there is a severe dearth of bilingual aphasic literature in the Sri Lankan Speech & Language Therapy context. This descriptive cross-sectional study analyzed the language errors in twelve (n=12) Sinhala- English bilinguals with aphasia post stroke in order to determine the more preserved language. It also discussed the determination of language preference of the participants for Speech & Language Therapy (SLT). A language assessment was administered to elicit the required language samples in Sinhala and English including four major linguistic components; discourse/spontaneous speech, confrontational naming, repetition and translation. The test stimuli were adapted from Western Aphasia Battery (Kertesz, 1982) for English and Pre-AphSL (2012) for Sinhala. Data were used to compare and analyze the errors across the two languages. The results showed no significant difference between Sinhala and English language performances. Neologisms, paraphasias, circumlocutions and perseverations were observed in both languages. The study results revealed a significant effect of age at onset on word finding difficulties. Other variables indicated notable trends, yet failed to demonstrate statistical significance.
Lexico-Syntactic Retrival and Cohesive Speech in Sinhala-English Speaking Bilingual Aphasics
(Staff Development Center, University of Kelaniya, 2015) Atapattu-Bakmeewewa, A.D.S.
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.