Speech and body gesture in an aphasic : Learning from Merleau-Ponty\u27s theory of language and body

The purpose of this paper is to elucidate how an aphasic as ""speaking subject"" talks and expresses his thoughts. The author explains the relation between an aphasic\u27s speech and his gestures, which has been seldom discussed in aphasia studies as a field of brain research. The author tries to clarify the following case, based upon Merleau-Ponty\u27s view on the language and the body. From the perspective of ""talking in words"" and ""talking with gestures"", the author studies the dialogue among the aphasic, his wife and the author. This study shows the following problems with which the aphasic is confronted in his dialogue: a) difficulty in expressing his thoughts in words, based on ""verbal images"", particularly when he feels physically tired; b) difficulty in converting his thoughts into gestures; and c) the instability of his thoughts caused by second problem. These problems indicate the close relation between what an aphasic expresses in words and with gestures. Understanding these problems, it is clear that for a ""speaking subject"", speech represents how he ties himself to the real world. Consequently, in speech therapy, therapists should show respect for the aphasic\u27s individuality and existence, and focus on their speech and gestures