In Malaysia around 40,000 people suffer from stroke every year. At least one-fourth of stroke survivors experience aphasia, a communication impairment that varies considerably across patients but most involves some form of deficit in language comprehension. Language rehabilitation, especially when it is intense (8-10 hours/week for 12 weeks) and it starts early (after the patient's medical condition has stabilized, often within 24 to 48 hours after the stroke, preferably in acute-care hospitals), has been shown to be beneficial in