INTRDUCTION TO CLINICAL

LINGUISTICS
 1. Introduction& Definitions

Clinical linguistics is understood as the area of Applied linguistics dealing especially

with the analysis of data from speakers with some sort of pathology affecting their use
of language.
David Crystal (1986) defined CL as “the application of the theories, methods and
findings of linguistic sciences to the study of those situations where all language
handicaps are diagnosed and treated.” It makes its own contribution to neurosciences
and cognitive sciences.
Chomsky and Hall published “ The Sound Pattern of English” (SPE) in 1968 and it
was a major milestone in linguistics theory. In speech pathology, (SPE) provided an
important approach to old problems in new ways and clinical linguistics researchers
responded by analysis and using the features of generative phonology into treatment.
Clinical Linguistics is also called “ Remedial Linguistics” as it used in non-medical

settings like educational and psychological contexts to diagnose and to remediate

a problem of a student in educational and a client in psychological settings.

 2. Historical Background

•Linguistics neglected this field in the second half of the 20th century, and
linguists concentrated on applied research into other topics such as those
related to teaching a second language, language policy and language
planning or computational linguistics.

* There are also a number of journals that are compulsory readings for the
speech therapist such as:
A. Advances in Speech Language Pathology
B. Augmentative & Alternative Communication

C. Clinical Linguistics and Phonetics

D. International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders

E. Journal of Intellectual and Development Disability

•Clinical linguistics studies have a long history in applied linguistics, and it
participated in the process of creating interdisciplinary university
departments called “ Department of Speech Disorder”, “ Department of
Speech and Communication Disorder” “ Department of the Science and
Disorders of Communication”

What does CL cover?

CL covers the application of linguistics to the field of speech pathology ( it studies,
diagnosis and treats disorders that relate to speech, language, fluency, voice and
communication) and language pathology and its most direct professional
manifestation is logopedics ( the study and treatment of speech defects) or speech
therapy.
What are the difficulties a language user may suffer from?
There are several difficulties that affect the production of a language by an
individual as:
1. Disorder
2. Deficit
3. Dysfunction
4. Deprivation
5. Disadvantage
6. Handicap
7. Loss of speech
8. Stuttering
9. Pronunciation disturbance
 Where do we encounter a person with a serious linguistic difficulty?
We have those people in
1. A school classroom
2. A pre-school playground
3. A young adult training center
4. A home for the aged

Who are the professionals involved in the care and treatment of language
handicapped people?
1. Speech and language pathologists
2. Therapists
3. School teachers
4. Educational & clinical psychologists
5. Pediatricians
6. Social workers
Clinical linguistics deals with all types of speech and language disorders.

Language Disorder:
It is a disorder that is found in the development or use of the knowledge of
language. It involves the processing of linguistic information. It shows the
breakdown in the development of language abilities on the usual developmental
schedule. It includes disorders like:
•Autism
•Learning ability ( refers to reading, writing, listening and mathematical disorders)
•Mental retardation
•Specific language impairment
•Developmental phonological disorders
•aphasia
•Schizophrenia
•Dysarthria
•Dyspraxia
-Language disorders are related to :
•Grammar (syntax, morphology)
•Semantics ( meaning)
•Other aspects of language

-Language disorders can affect the spoken ,written as well as sign

language. It can be receptive ( related to comprehension), expressive (
related to language production) or both.
Speech disorders:
-Types of communication disorders where normal speech is disrupted.
- It includes disorders :
A. Articulation Disorders:
The speech mechanisms like soft palate, tongue, lips are the place of delay.

B. Fluency Disorders:
The problems that are related to the efforts, continuity and speed in
producing a speech such as : stuttering and cluttering.
C. Voice disorders: It refers to the function of the larynx, the pitch,
loudness or quality of the voice that differ from the normal standard
voice due to some problems in the vocal mechanisms such as: phonation
and resonance.
What are the causes of speech pathology?
Most of the time the reason is not known, but still there are various
known causes of speech disorders such as:
•Hearing Loss
•Neurological Disorder
• Brain Injury
•Mental Retardation
•Drug Abuse
•Cleft lip and Palate
•Child Abuse
•Learning Disability
•Cerebral Palsy

•Surprisingly, these language and speech disorders can exit together or by

themselves.
What is the role of linguists with reference to CL?
The linguists’ task in terms of speech and language pathology
mainly concerns:
A. Description: the linguist’s job is to obtain samples of distorted
speech under appropriate conditions and using the correct
methodology, describe the samples of distorted speech and
apply comprehensive knowledge of all the components of
language.
B. Research: the research done by the linguists in CL acts as an
essential bridge between the neuropsychologist’s diagnosis
and the speech therapist’s rehabilitatory praxis ( practical
exercises).
C. Designing: The linguist’s comprehensive knowledge of the language
system enables them to design diagnostic and rehabilitation protocols to
be used by the speech therapists.

D. Noticing Symptoms: A linguist is a capable person who can identifies

the important symptoms of language disability.
What are the steps needed in any clinical linguistics research?

1. Clarification:
The aim of CL is to clarify the areas of confusion found in the traditional
classification of disabilities. Clinical linguistics aims at clarifying overlapping
terms for types and symptoms of dishoarded linguistics behavior by using
an explicit criteria which contribute to mutual comprehension of the
problem by using at least the same terminology. For example, what one
author might describe as an articulation error, others might describe it as a
dyslalia, pronunciation defect or phonetic handicap.

2. Description
A major area of CL is to provide ways of describing and analyzing the
linguistic behavior of the patients and of the clinicians and others who
interact with them. CL aims at establishing a system in what often seems to
be random.
3. Diagnosis:
An important aim of CL is to provide a classification of a patient’s linguistic
behavior, as part of the process of differential diagnosis. Long time ago, the
diagnosis of language disability was carried out on medical basis only.
Identifying the problem as impaired anatomy, physiology, neurology, aphasia,
dyspraxia, dysphonia, and many other symptoms.
But, there were many patients with language disability recorded without
having any medical reason for their problems, and it became evident that a
purely medical models of investigation will not be enough to find solutions.
Some children who suffer from language delay, do not have a clear medical
explanation for their condition.
4. Assessment
CL is also involved in devising a sophisticated assessment of abnormal linguistics
behavior. While diagnosis tells us what is wrong with a patient, assessment tells us
just how seriously the patient is wrong.

5. Intervention:
The ultimate goal of CL is to formulate hypotheses for the remediation of
abnormal linguistic behavior. It provides the clinicians with the needed diagnosis
to make judgments about what to teach next, the kind of teaching material used
and the setting in which the interaction takes place.