Eric Acton

Eric Acton is Associate Professor in the Department of English Language and Literature at Eastern Michigan University's College of Arts and Sciences. He holds a PhD from Stanford University and a BS in Mathematics and Linguistics from Haverford College. His research examines non-entailed meaning, pragmatics, sociolinguistics, and the intersection of language with ethnicity and politics.

His work investigates how social meaning emerges in linguistic structures like definite articles and demonstratives, with applications to political discourse and identity. Recent publications analyze sociophonetic intention and the pragmatic functions of definites across social contexts.