Dealing expressive language impairment with stammering speakers: a sociopsychological perspective

Abstract

Any sort of speech or talk in interaction occurs as a natural speech encounter which is structured and is frequently shaped by several linguistic cues and markers. However, within this structured discourse there are layers of linguistics, paralinguistic or even nonlinguistic elements which are denoted as interdiscursive one. Now, according to several researchers, this very natural flow of discourse is often seen to be distorted or disoriented due to some cognitive, physical, linguistic impairments such as the case of expressive language impairment stammering which results into severe amount of cognitive burden which people don’t hold a normalized attitude to look into. This paper is a socio-psychological study based on short time frame of observation upon two selected respondents dealing with stammering, specifically development and psychogenic language impairment. The subjects I have choosen are a National University student of Sherpur district situated in Mymensingh facing developmental stammering and another one is a University graduate living in city facing psychogenic stammering. The subjects are however facing severe communicating issues in a normalized societal context deeply rooted in their prior trauma which again highlights of issues of anxiety, nervousness aligning with the empirical use of language. However, the conceptual framework follows some theoretical models and approaches like language socialization, ethnomethodology, communicative theory, psychoanalytic approach, notion of self-concept, identity, belonging and so on and theoretical underpinnings and the testimony of the subject is thoughtfully framed meticulously within this theoretical framework which constitute the affective factors of stammering in both personal and pedagogic setting. A set of open and close ended questionnaire is made for the subjects based on stammering, traumatic socio-communicative issues to determine the very gravity of this sort of impairment and the position of the stammerer. The data is taken through a chunk of general conversation with the subject and further recorded and transcribed which the subject has already provided the permission and is analyzed following the model of transcription convention of Jefferson model and implementing IPA (Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis) and later is justified by a speech therapist. It is expected that this study will benefit the community dealing with stammering to some extent by making people aware of stammering and themselves of-course.