Lexical repetition as a communicative strategy in Broca's aphasia

This study examines the lexical self- and other repetition and the strategi c use of repetition by two aphasic speakers (J and M) with agrammatic and s evere word-finding difficulties in group discussions. Whereas the speakers' aphasia profiles were rather similar, as defined by clinical testing (West ern Aphasia Battery), their use of lexical repetition as a communicative st rategy was significantly different. One speaker (speaker M) had more contex tually supported words, especially other-repetitions. M sometimes repeated her own lexical elements and elaborated the repetitions morphologically and prosodically and expanded them syntactically. These elaborated and expande d repetitions were attempts at communicative clarity and grammatical accept ability. After encountering problems in production, speaker M used self-and other-repetition both in affective confirmations and in meaning negotiatio ns. Speaker J, on the other hand, did not attempt to produce grammatical we ll-formed utterances, but relied on his interlocutors' interpretations of h is turns. Speaker J did not elaborate or expand his one or two word utteran ces, but frequently repeated fillers and polite idiomatic phrases. He used more self-repetition, typically in confirmations, to express emotion and in turn keeping, and less other-repetition, which only occurred in negotiatio ns to reach mutual understanding. The methods and results are discussed in the framework of the adaptation theory of agrammatism. We suggest that path ological and communicative repetitions form a continuum and that the study of strategic choices can contribute to the development of communicative spe ech therapy.