Jon A Bakos

Jon A Bakos is an Associate Professor of TESL and Linguistics at the College of Arts & Sciences, Indiana State University. His work bridges sociolinguistics, ESL pedagogy, and dialectology, focusing on language acquisition, regional dialects, and innovative teaching methods.

• Ph.D. in English (Linguistics emphasis) from Oklahoma State University (2013)
• M.A. in Linguistics from Michigan State University (2008)
• B.A. in English and Linguistics from University of Michigan (2001)

Bakos’s research explores dialect adaptation, sociolinguistic factors in language learning, and technology-driven pedagogy. His recent work includes studies on the 'naughty-knotty' vowel merger in Indiana and integrating gaming terminology into language education. His publications highlight interdisciplinary approaches combining corpus analysis and cultural studies.

Key trends in his scholarship include sociolinguistic fieldwork, ESL/EFL curriculum innovation, and the role of media in language acquisition. His presentations span topics like Southern dialects in music, real-time dialect analysis, and psycholinguistic teaching strategies.

• Outstanding Supervisor of the Year Award (2017)
• Professing Excellence and Inspiring Instruction (2020)
• Mentioned in 2020 Destination Survey
• Recipient of a Faculty Conference Travel Grant (2024)

Bakos has supervised students and collaborated on grants such as the CAS Faculty Fellow: Integrating Transferrable Skills into the Curriculum and led the development of the Center for Language Education and Research (2016). He actively participates in university governance and linguistic conferences, advocating for active-learning methodologies.