A grammatical analysis of the spontaneous language use of schizophrenic versus normal L2 speakers of English

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: It is well-known that there is an important relationship between language and schizophrenia,given that many of the primary symptoms of schizophrenia are language related (Cutting1985; Wróbel 1990; Sadock & Sadock 2003; Paradis 2008). Furthermore, research has shownthat certain schizophrenic bilinguals exhibit different symptoms in their first language (L1)than in their second language (L2) (De Zulueta 1984; De Zulueta, Gene-Cos & Grachev2001; Paradis 2008; Southwood, Schoeman & Emsley 2009). This thesis investigates the L2use of schizophrenic bilinguals to determine whether there are significant differencesbetween the types and frequency of errors made in spontaneous L2 use by schizophrenicversus normal (i.e. non-schizophrenic) bilinguals. Four schizophrenic bilinguals and fournormal bilinguals (the control group) participated in this study. The controls were matched tothe schizophrenics in terms of age, gender, level of education, L1 (Afrikaans) and L2(English). Informal, thirty minute interviews were conducted with each of the eightparticipants, recorded on video (for the schizophrenics) or audio tape (for the controls) andcarefully transcribed. Each participant's speech sample was then analyzed grammatically bymeans of Morice & Ingram's (1982) assessment tool. This analysis involved determining thecomplexity of utterances (with reference to mean length of utterance, lexical density, andnumber of sentence-initial and sentence-medial conjunctions) and identifying phonological,morphological, lexical, syntactic and semantic errors. In this way a language profile wascreated for each participant and the differences between the two groups (schizophrenics andcontrols) were tested for statistical significance. On the basis of the results of these statisticaltests, it is argued that the locus of differences between schizophrenic and normal L2 use issemantics, rather than any of the other aspects of grammar. The thesis concludes with adiscussion of the main findings of the study, some criticisms of the assessment tool andsuggestions for future research in this field.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University