Variation in language mixing in multilingual aphasia.
Mira Goral, Monica Norvik, Bård Uri Jensen
PMID 30836773WHAT IT FOUND
Multilingual people with aphasia mixed languages more when aphasia was more severe and when speaking their weaker post-stroke language.
Task type did not change mixing, and no one used a language the examiner did not know.
Key findings
01Participants with severe or moderate aphasia mixed a higher percentage of words than participants with mild aphasia.
02Participants mixed a higher percentage of words in their weaker post-stroke language than in their strongest language.
03No participant made an inappropriate language choice.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study included only 11 multilingual people with aphasia, so the patterns may not apply broadly. Participants differed widely in languages, aphasia severity, proficiency, and amount of speech produced. Some languages were not tested because assessment tools or proficient examiners were unavailable. Testing was intended to be monolingual, but participants knew examiners could speak multiple languages, and languages were tested on the same day, which may have increased mixing. Different picture cards and narrative topics were used across participants, which may have added variability. The study counted whole-word mixing but did not examine part-word mixing, blends, or lexical transfer. Word type was analysed only descriptively in four participants with non-fluent aphasia. The study did not measure language mixing before the stroke, so it cannot separate post-stroke change from a person's usual multilingual habits. No statistical testing was applied to inappropriate language choice.
Declared interests
The authors report no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read language mixing in multilingual aphasia as proof of pathological code-switching. The study found no inappropriate language choice, and mixing was more frequent in the weaker language and with more severe aphasia.