Named in honor of former BYU professor Dr. James L. Barker, the longstanding Barker Lectureship highlights outstanding work in language studies.
PROVO, Utah (October 17, 2018)—Deborah Dean, Professor of English, will give the 2018 James Barker Lecture on Thursday, October 25, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. in B092 JFSB. Titled “Genre Approximation, Acquisition, and Appropriation,” Dean’s lecture will focus on the various ways in which we use “genre” to interact with others, to adapt to unfamiliar situations, and to surmise creative, communication-related solutions. Dean’s lecture will also emphasize the way we use, approximate, and acquire certain genres—most of the time without even realizing it.
Since she joined the BYU faculty in 1999, Dean has taught courses primarily in the English teaching program. A specialist in writing and language pedagogy as well as secondary English teaching methods, Dean has written myriad books and articles, including Strategic Writing (2nd ed.), Genre Theory, What Works in Writing Instruction, and Revision Decisions. Currently the program director of the English Teaching Program, she has also served as associate chair in the English Department and associate dean of Undergraduate Education.
Elizabeth Barton (English and French Studies ’18)