Dallin Oaks

Biography: Dallin D. Oaks teaches primarily English linguistics courses in the department, including courses in traditional grammar and usage, history of the English language, early modern English, structure of English, and Old English. He has a BA degree in English Teaching from BYU (1984), an MA degree in linguistics (applied linguistics emphasis) from the University of Utah (1986), and a Ph.D. in English (English linguistics) from Purdue University (1990). Professor Oaks's research interests include historical linguistics, the structure of English, and linguistic applications.

He has published several books: Linguistics at Work: A Reader of Applications (published by Harcourt Brace, 1998); An Introductory English Grammar (co-authored with Norman C. Stageberg and published by Harcourt Brace, 2000); Structural Ambiguity in English: An Applied Grammatical Inventory (2 vols., published by Continuum, 2010); and Perspectives on Latter-day Saint Names and Naming (co-edited with Paul Baltes & Kent Minson and published by Routledge, 2023). Professor Oaks has articles appearing in a variety of journals, including Lingua; General Linguistics; Reading Research and Instruction; the Journal of Technical Writing and Communication; the Journal of Linguistics and Language Teaching, IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication; Humor: International Journal of Humor Research; the Southern Journal of Linguistics; the Journal of Advertising Education; and Science, Religion & Culture.