Faculty of Humanities
School of Professional Social Sciences
Department of Communication Pathology
Selected Highlights from Research Findings
The phonological planning ability of bilingual speakers presenting with phonemic paraphasia after acquired brain damage needs to be considered in clinical practice by speech-language pathologists. A first and additional languages may impact on this ability differently. Also, a study of this phenomenon may reveal aspects of the underlying control processes of phonological planning during language encoding in the brain. The purpose of this study was to compare the nature and number of phonemic paraphasias in the first (L1) and second (L2) language of three early bilingual speakers with conduction aphasia. Phonemic paraphasias in L1 and L2 (Afrikaans and English) were compared in two picture description tasks and two word-naming tasks. The one picture represented everyday activities and the other a number of more unusual scenes that may require more complex language encoding. Both were described in L1 and L2. The naming tasks in L1 and L2 contained 20 high-frequency words and 20 low-frequency words, all with equal numbers of one-, two- and three-syllable words. Word meaning was similar in L1 and L2. More error words occurred in L2, but the nature of the paraphasias did not differ. Little difference was found between the number and nature of errors in high- and low-frequency words. More errors occurred during picture description than during naming. More single phoneme errors than syllable errors occurred. Language of production and active linguistic-symbolic planning, but not word-frequency, increased the load on phonological planning. The results implicate increased processing demands of L2 on phonological planning. The results do not support syllabic encoding of words in either L1 or L2.
Contact person: Prof A van der Merwe.
Hearing loss is the most prevalent chronic disability globally. Unfortunately, professional services are limited and unavailable throughout the majority of the world and especially across Africa. The use of new technologies in telemedicine in hearing assessment and intervention is making remote testing a reality. The first trans-Atlantic hearing test was recently conducted through an Internet connection by a professional in Dallas, Texas, on a patient in South Africa. Subsequent studies to validate the reliability and accuracy of these tele-audiology procedures are demonstrating that this technology may be able to provide equivalent degrees of accuracy in evaluating patients remotely. In a study conducting tele-audiology hearing assessments at a distance exceeding 14 000 km, from Dallas to Pretoria, no clinically significant differences between results obtained by remote intercontinental testing and conventional face-to-face testing was observed. Furthermore, automated hearing testing has been evaluated and demonstrated equivalent results to manual audiometric testing in patients with and without hearing loss. The combination of telemedicine technology and automation offers significant promise for addressing the global shortage of hearing health care personnel, particularly in underserved regions such as Africa. With the widespread coverage of cell phone networks across Africa, tele-audiology services may be provided in remote and isolated areas of Africa and the globe.
Contact person: Prof DCD Swanepoel.
The vuvuzela is a proud symbol of South African soccer, having evolved over the past 15 years into a symbol of hope and unity for many people in the country. Today soccer stadium in South Africa are invariably filled with loud and raucous sounds from the vuvuzela that reverberate with energy to the exhilaration of supporters. The intensity of the 2009 Confederation Cup recently concluded in South Africa and in anticipation of the forthcoming World Cup in 2010. Despite complaints by international commentators, players and audiences, FIFA has approved the vuvuzela as part of the signature South African World Cup. It is not surprising, however, that the international soccer community would be caught by surprise at the loudness of the vuvuzela and its non-stop chorus throughout the length of a soccer match. Studies conducted highlight the dangerous sound intensities and the risk of noise-induced hearing loss. Further studies were conducted to determine the actual noise levels that spectators are exposed to at a typical soccer match and to measure the effect on a group of spectators' hearing. Exposure levels exceeded limits of permissible average and peak sound levels. Significant changes in post-match hearing thresholds and cochlear responsiveness highlight the possible risk for noise-induced hearing loss. Public awareness and personal hearing protection should be prioritised as a preventative measure.
Contact person: Prof DCD Swanepoel.
The study aimed at describing the approaches and programmes used by speech-language therapists (SLTs) in South Africa. An explorative, descriptive research design was selected and 41 SLTs currently in private practice participated. Participants who do not offer stuttering therapy were excluded from this project. Most participants used a diverse selection of approaches and programmes to address stuttering intervention. A need for further undergraduate research and the urgency for continuous professional development were recognised. The implication is that future research is conducted to provide evidence-based treatment programmes.
Contact person: Ms UL Zsilavecz.
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