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Barker Lectures

The Barker Lectureship is named in honor of Dr. James L. Barker (1880–1958), an internationally renowned scholar in phonetics and former chairman of BYU’s Language Department (1907-1914).

Dr. Barker, who also taught at Weber Academy, the University of Utah, and the University of Chicago, studied at the University of Neuchâtel, the Collège de France and the Sorbonne and later lectured on dozens of American and European university campuses. He was honored for his work in phonetics by a decoration from the French government – the Palmes d’Officier de l’Académie. Dr. Barker served twice as mission president for the LDS Church – from 1942–1944, as President of the Argentina Mission, and from 1946–1949 as President of the French Mission.

In addition to authoring many scholarly articles and books, he translated The Book of Mormon into French in 1906 and wrote The Divine Church, a treatise on the Christian Church to the restoration. Dr. Barker spoke and taught German, French, Spanish, and Italian. In 1952 he returned to the BYU faculty and was teaching here at the time of his death, in 1958, in an automobile accident.

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Daryl Hague

Translating literacy: Becoming critical readers as we make and read translations, with help from Opus the Penguin and Mexico's Underdogs

2022
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Lynn Williams

How to address a king without a kingdom: Language and reputation in XVII-century Europe

2021
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Dan Dewey

Social Interaction

2020
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Jeff Turley

What language errors reveal about human nature

2019
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Deborah Dean

Genre approximation, acquisition, and appropriation

2018
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Orlando Alba

La Identidad Dialectal de las Islas Hispanicas Del Caribe

2016
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Tony Brown

“In Pursuit of Advanced Proficiency and Beyond: Debate as a Means of Improving Language Learning and Proficiency.”

2015
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Gregory Clark

The Language of Experience

2014
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Janis Nuckolls

Why Do Sound Effects Matter?

2013
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Donald W. Parry

Wonder upon Wonder-Isaiah’s Writings

2012
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Deryle Lonsdale

Not Sharply Pointed: Coast Salish Language and Culture

2011
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Robert Russell

Learners Keepers, Losers Weepers: Notes from an L2 Attriter

2010
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David Eddington

Linguistics and the Scientific Method

2009
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Ray Clifford

The 2nd Language Proficiency of Returned Missionaries: Some Baseline Data and Instructional Implications

2008
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Mark Davies

2007
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David Hart

L4: Lifelong Language Learning

2006
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Kristine Hansen

What is Writing Worth? A Dollars-and-Sense Analysis

2005
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Neil J. Anderson

Improving Language Learning Through Metacognitively Oriented Strategies

2004
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Donald Jarvis

Babel and ‘Failure to Communicate’

2003
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Melvin Luthy

Tolkien, Longfellow, Hebrew, and the Finnish Kalevala

2002
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Wilfried Decoo

2001
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Lynn Henrichsen

2000
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Daniel Peterson

1999
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William Eggington

1998
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David Paxman

1997
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Chantal Thompson

1996
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Alan Melby

1995
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Jerry Larson

1994
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John Robertson

1993
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Cheryl Brown

1992
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Dilworth Parkinson

1991
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John S. Harris

Poetry and Technical Writing

1990
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Robert Blair

1988
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Randall Jones

1987
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Marvin Folson

1986
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Royal Skousen

1985
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Harold Madsen

1984
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Josette Ashford

1983
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