Jan Anward

Parts of speech: A challenge for typology

Despite some realprogress in t he study ofpart-of-speech Systems during t he last two decades their ränge of Variation in the worlds languages has not been properly assessed. After a summary of the state of the art a template for part-of-speech typology isproposed that outlines parameters of Variation and possible constraints on the logically available options, with the aim of prompting further work on the topic.

On the grammar of utterances: putting the form vs. substance distinction back on its feet

ABSTRACT Recent work in language theory, linguistic typology and usage-based linguistics has actualised the time-honoured distinction between ‘form’ (or ‘structure’) and ‘substance’, which was popular not least during classical European structuralism. This paper reviews some controversies within the theory of form and substance. Current dialogical theories of situated languaging, as well as many variants of functional, cognitive and other usage-based approaches, motivate a perspective shift in the language sciences, assigning primacy to language use (‘languaging’, ‘doing language’) rather than to abstract language systems. This gives more weight to ‘substance’, while it still necessitates the recognition of language structures. This paper makes an argument for a respecification of the relationships between form and substance, or between structuralist and substantialist conceptions, seen in relation to received versions. The empirical data adduced in this paper are drawn from conversational Swedish.

Enhanced patient involvement in Swedish aphasia intervention

ABSTRACT The present article is a case study in which participation is investigated in terms of the use of interactional practices that enhance the involvement of a man with severe aphasia in activities that aim to capture his and his wife’s experiences of everyday communication, and their views of his speech and language intervention. Five practices are identified: 1) collaborative telling, 2) formulations, 3) yes/no questions, 4) declaratives and 5) hint-and-guess strategies. It is demonstrated how participants’ (wife, a speech and language pathologist, and two research assistants) use of these practices are beneficial for making the viewpoints of the man with aphasia come across, despite his communication difficulties. Results are discussed in light of the importance of finding ways to make patients influence their own intervention, both in terms of a raised awareness of facilitative interactional practices and of activities such as interviews and retrospection sessions with patients and their significant others.

Defusing practices as mitigation in speech and language intervention

In the present paper, speech and language intervention was investigated in order to explore the use and function of defusing practices. Defusing practices may be viewed as a special form of mitigation. In previous research, including studies on clinical interaction, mitigation has been described mainly as devices used in order to reduce the unwelcome effects of an utterance, or reduce the discomfort of bad news. Defusing practices, however, appear to serve somewhat different functions, which are examined here. Data comprises video and audio recordings of eight intervention sessions with children with language impairment (LI), and six intervention sessions with adults with aphasia, The analysis revealed the following kinds of defusing practices: circumscriptions/figurative language, diminutive words, words like ‘try’ or ‘test’, placing the problem outside of the patient, collective pronouns, diminishing the speech and language pathologist’s own competence, encouragement, and references to well-known phenomena. If speech and language therapists (SLPs) are made aware of the practice and function of defusing, they may make conscious use of these practices in order to reduce face-threatening situations in intervention