Semin Speech Lang 2007; 28: 148-158 DOI: 10.1055/s-2007-970572
Copyright © 2007 by Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc., 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.
Pragmatics in Discourse Performance: Insights from Aphasiology
Hanna K. Ulatowska1, Gloria Streit Olness1,2
1 Callier Center for Communication Disorders, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, Texas 2 Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas

ABSTRACT

This article examines the preservation of pragmatic abilities of individuals with aphasia, as manifested in the discourse they produce. The construct of coherence is used as a framework for understanding this pragmatic preservation. Discourse coherence is largely derived from the structure, selection, and highlighting of information expressed in a discourse. Personal narratives, as one type of discourse, represent an extended turn-in-conversation on a topic of personal relevance to the speaker, common in everyday life. As such, they provide a valuable source of information about a speaker's pragmatic ability. Examples of personal narratives told by individuals with aphasia are used to illustrate and discuss the means by which discourse coherence is achieved. These include a tightly structured temporal-causal event line, development of theme, and evaluation of information. Possible approaches to clinical assessment are considered, including use of global rating systems.

KEYWORDS

Pragmatics - discourse - aphasia - coherence