Language, meaning, context, and functional communication

Abstract

Background : In the 1970s Audrey Holland first emphasised the importance of “functional communication” rather than “linguistic accuracy” for individuals with aphasia, noting that they could often “communicate” better than they could “talk”. Her approach inspired many to explore why and how this could be so, and to look for avenues that tapped everyday communication skills, rather than the person with aphasia's performance on decontextualised language tests. Aims: This paper addresses the kinds of issues that are involved in “functional communication” and specifically addresses the role of language in this endeavour. It aims to highlight language as a set of “meaning-making resources” rather than as a set of syntactic/semantic constructs that exist outside of the communicator's everyday environment, that have to be mastered before being put into practice and that exist regardless of specific contexts. Main Contribution: The paper discusses language's role in social life in which speakers not only convey information to each other but also maintain social relationships through communication. A taxonomy of the different kinds of social meanings that speakers use to communicate is proposed for use in aphasia research, based on the work of Halliday (1994)—those related to conveying ideas and experiences (e.g., vocabulary related to particular experiences, topics), those related to interpersonal relationships (e.g., speech acts, evaluative language devices, exchange structure), and those related to maintaining continuity and coherence across the speaker's discourse (e.g., cohesion). In addition, the systematic relationship existing between language and context and its clinical implications are explored. Conclusions: Language as information is only one form of language use. The paper argues for further consideration in aphasiology of the importance of multiple language uses and their relation to context. It is proposed that regarding language forms from these different perspectives of use will enable clinicians to further address the different aspects of communication required for meaningful and satisfying interactions in everyday social life.