Abstract
We want to point out, how the use of gestures of Czech native speakers with diagnosed aphasia differs from the use of gestures of peoplersons without aphasia and whether aphasic peoplersons use gestures intentionally to compensate their language impairment.
The rResearch sample consists of six peoplersons with aphasia and twelve peoplersons without aphasia. Based on Boston Classification System, there are two peoplersons with Broca's aphasia, two peoplersons with Wernicke's aphasia and two peoplersons with transcortical-motor aphasia involved in our research. We observe, in what way both groups of peoplersons use different types of gestures when retelling a story of a cartoon. We record their activity on video camera, then we make a notation of speech and gesture elements.
Peoplersons with aphasia use more gestures than peoplersons without aphasia regarding number of words in their narration. Mb1, a male with Broca's aphasia, showed 20.6 % communication gestures in relation to the quantity of words, Mw2, a male with Wernicke's aphasia, showed 11.8 % gestures and a second male with Broca's aphasia, Mb2, showed 7.1 % gestures. Regarding peoplersons without aphasia, female Z7 showed the highest proportion of gestures in relation to the quantity of words (8.6 %). Peoplersons with transcortical-motor aphasia showed 3.7 % (male, Mtm) and 2.7 % (female, Ztm). A second male with Wernicke's aphasia, Mw1, showed 2.6 % gestures. Within our research sample, aphasic peoplersons use gestures intentionally to compensate their language impairment.