Sean Allison

Dr. Sean Allison is a Professor and co-chair of the Linguistics and World Languages department at Trinity Western University's Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences. He has taught French since 2015 and served as French Program coordinator since 2020. His research focuses on Chadic languages (e.g., Makary Kotoko), functional/typological linguistics, and French linguistics. He co-leads Bible translation projects in French-speaking Africa with Wycliffe Bible Translators since 1998, combining academic work with applied linguistic fieldwork.

Education: PhD in Linguistics (University of Colorado, 2012), DEA and Master's in Linguistics (Université Marc Bloch, Strasbourg, 1996-1993), and certifications in French language studies. Awards include TWU's Davis Distinguished Teaching Award (2023-24) and a teaching excellence award from CU Boulder (2011).

Research spans Makary Kotoko grammar, language contact in West Africa, and sociolinguistic impacts of Bible translation. Recent work includes a 2023 paper linking Bible translation to church health, a major 2020 grammar publication, and 2017 studies on conditional clauses and language contact dynamics.

Teaching includes FREN 101-380 courses, emphasizing practical language skills and advanced grammar. His work integrates field linguistics with pedagogical innovation, supported by affiliations with SIL International and Wycliffe. Ongoing projects focus on Chadic language documentation and African language policy.