Clinical linguistics: A focus on interactions and an interpersonal perspective

Authors/Creators

Elizabeth Armstrong, Edith Cowan UniversityFollow
Rimke Groenewold
Deborah Hersh
Christa Akers
Mary Pat O’Malley
Nicole Müller

Abstract

This chapter explores how Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) enriches clinical linguistics by focusing on the interpersonal, contextual, and interactional dimensions of communication disorders. Drawing on case studies involving aphasia, right hemisphere damage, dementia, and clinical report writing, it illustrates how SFL offers tools to analyse both the linguistic and social aspects of communication breakdown. Emphasising real-world interactions over decontextualised tasks, this chapter demonstrates how SFL supports person-centred assessment and therapy. It also introduces the USeFuL Project, which aims to make SFL more accessible to clinicians, supporting collaborative, context-sensitive interventions for individuals with neurogenic communication disorders.

Document Type

Book Chapter

Date of Publication

1-1-2025

Publication Title

Routledge Handbook of Transdisciplinary Systemic Functional Linguistics

Publisher

Taylor & Francis

School

School of Medical and Health Sciences

Comments

Armstrong, E., Groenewold, R., Hersh, D., Akers, C., O’Malley, M., & Müller, N. (2025). Clinical linguistics: A focus on interactions and an interpersonal perspective. In Routledge Handbook of Transdisciplinary Systemic Functional Linguistics (pp. 127–152). Taylor & Francis. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003291138-10

Copyright

subscription content

First Page

127

Last Page

152