On the Relationship between Mind and Language:Teaching English Vocabulary to Schizophrenics
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Abstract
Undoubtedly mind is the most complicated member of human being and respectively a small breakdown in whatever processes undergone will cause great difficulties for the beholder. One of the most serious psychological impairments is known as schizophrenia which severely distorts thought and action (Hockenbury & Hockenbury, 2004). The present study is set out to investigate the capability of patients with schizophrenia in doing different vocabulary tasks on second language and retaining them for a period of time. Eight male patients diagnosed with schizophrenia of different types were selected from two mental centers to participate in the study. They were invited to attend a class for 16 sessions in 8 weeks and do vocabulary tasks including matching words to the pictures, filling the blanks, word association, crossword puzzle, and word finding. A test was administered right after the period and the retest was administered 16 days later. The study illustrated that there is no significant relationship between age and learning vocabulary items by patients suffering from schizophrenia. More, schizophrenics showed different capabilities in doing vocabulary tasks, and they also showed different impairments in their attempt to learn foreign language words. They also found some of the tasks demanding as they become more cognitively difficult.
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