Alton L. Becker
Alton Lewis (Pete) Becker | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 6, 1932 Monroe, Michigan, U.S. |
| Died | November 15, 2011 |
| Alma mater | University of Michigan |
| Known for | Translation, Philology, Rhetoric, Southeast Asian languages, Ethnography of Communication, Anthropology of Language |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Linguistics, Philology, Anthropology |
| Institutions | Kambawza College (Taunggi, Burma), University of Connecticut, Ripon College, University of Michigan |
| Thesis | A Generative Description of the English Subject Tagmemes (1967) |
| Doctoral advisor | Kenneth Pike |
Alton L. (Pete) Becker (April 6, 1932 – November 15, 2011) was an American linguist known for his studies of Burmese grammar and other Southeast Asian languages, including Malaysian, Javanese and Kawi. He was a professor of linguistics at the University of Michigan from 1968 to 1986. Becker published studies in philology, rhetoric, and the ethnography of communication. He was coauthor with Richard E. Young and Kenneth L. Pike of the widely influential college writing textbook, Rhetoric: Discovery and Change, which introduced a Rogerian framework for communication and rhetoric studies as an alternative to the Aristotelian approach. To recognize his significant contributions and publications of translations from Southeast Asian languages to English, the Association for Asian Studies awards the annual A.L. Becker Southeast Asian Literature in Translation Prize to honor his significant contributions.