Research Interests:

• Linguistic Typology, Syntax, Indian English Grammar, Language Acquisition, Pragmatics.

Project(s):

• “Climate change, language vulnerability, and Culture death: A case study under warming scenario from the Eastern coastal region of India”, (ongoing), Exploratory Research Project, Funded by Indian Institute of Technology Madras.

• “Detection & Quantification of Gender Bias in Official Text in the Indian Academic Setting”, (ongoing), Project Consultancy, Funded by American Express India Private Limited.

• Co-PI, Centre for Atmospheric and Climate Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Madras.

• "Copula Constructions in Indo Aryan Languages: Typological and Discourse Pragmatics Perspectives", (ongoing), New Faculty Seed Grant, Funded by IIT Madras. 

  • The objective of the research proposed here is to provide a typological description and a discourse pragmatic analysis of copula constructions in Indo-Aryan languages. More specifically, using conversational data, we will identify the morphosyntactic features and discourse functions of copula constructions in Odia, Bangla, Hindi and Gujarati. Findings from this study will contribute to a better understanding of how copulas are used to express speakers’ subjective stance and interpersonal relationships with other interlocutors.  

Selected Publications:

• Yap, F.H. & Sahoo, A. (2024). Versatile copulas and their stance-marking uses in conversational Odia, an Indo-Aryan language. Lingua, Vol. 297. An abridged version of the  paper can be found here: https://tech-talk.iitm.ac.in/treading-the-territories-of-copulas/ 

• Chandra, P., G. Kaur & A. Sahoo. 2021. "Non-Active Voices in South Asian Languages". In Kleanthes Grohmann, Akemi Matsuya and Eva-Maria Remberger (eds). Passives Cross-Linguistically. Netherlands: Leiden: Brill

• Chandra, P. and Sahoo, A. (2015). Ditransitive Active-passives in Malayalam: A brief note. International Journal of Dravidian Linguistics, Vol 44:1. Dravidian Linguistics Association.

• Chandra, P. and Sahoo, A. (2014). Learning Puzzles with Indian English Tags’. Language and Language Teaching, Vol 3:2, Azim Premji University and Vidya Bhavan Society.

• Chandra, P. and Sahoo, A. (2013). Passives in South Asian Languages: Some Typological Puzzles, Acta Linguistica Asiatica, Vol 3:1, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia.

• Chandra, P. and Sahoo, A. (2010). Gradience In ditransitives and morphological specifities: The case Of Oriya, AICL-32 Conference Proceedings, Linguistic Society of India.

• Sahoo, A. (2010). Odia passives with ditransitives, LAEL-5 PG Conference Proceedings, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK.

Articles:

• Book chapter titled ‘Headlines: Same-lines, In Sheikh’, Aejaz M. (Ed). News Media Discourse: Issues and Perspectives. Hope International. pp 228-238. ISBN: 978-8192979-50-2.

• Article titled ‘ODISHA AND ODIA: Conceptualizing Linguistic and Cultural Identities’ at http://www.intellectsreview.com/2016/07/odisha-and-odia-conceptualizing.html

Selected Papers presented in conferences:

• "Beyond the dichotomy of Standard vs Non-Standard: A Sociolinguistic Study on the features 'Standard Language' formation in Malayalam", to be presented by Vishnu Suresh & Anindita Sahoo at the 6th Asian Junior Linguists Conference, Sogang University, Seoul, Korea, from December 10-11, 2021.

• "Dyslexia: An Analysis of Syntactic Errors", Paper presented by Anindita Sahoo & Priyanka Mowlali at the 2nd Malaysian Association of Applied LInguistics Conference, Malaysia, held from 8-10 September 2021.

• "On the de-honorification function of copula 'achhi' in Odia: A stance Triangle Analysis", at the 17th International Pragmatics Conference, Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Winterthur, held from June 27-July 02, 2021. 

• "Discourse and Typological Approaches to the Analysis of Attitudinal Copulas", at the Workshop on 'Discourse and Typological Approaches of Attitudinal Markers: Implications for Intercultural Communication', Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, held on 15 June 2019.

• ‘Conceptualizing Linguistic and Cultural Identities’ Presented at National Conference on Language, Identity and Society: Centrality of Language in Formation of Identity in Contemporary Society, Gautam Buddha University, Greater Noida, from 30th to 31st October 2015.

• ‘Headlines: Same Lines’ Presented at Free Linguistics Conference 2015, De La Salle University, Manila, the Philippines, from 24th to 26th Sept 2015

• The development of copulas and their functions: A typological perspective .(Co-authors: Foong Ha Yap, Abhishek Kumar Kashyap, Mizuho Tamaji), Presented at 20th Himalayan Languages Symposium (HLS 20), Nanyang Technical University, Singapore, from 16th July to 18th July 2014.

• ‘Error, or no error: An analysis’ Presented at 8th Students Conference of Linguistics in India (SCONLI 8), Kashmir University, Srinagar, From 24th March to 26th March 2014 .

• (Re-)visiting the Principles of Reflexivization: A Study of Reflexives in Khasi’, Presented at 23rd Annual Meeting of the South East Asian Linguistics Society (SEALS 2013), Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand, from 29th May to 31st May 2013

• ‘Scope Patterns in Oriya’, (With Dr. Pritha Chandra), Presented at South Asian Languages Analysis Roundtable 29 CIIL, Mysore, from 6th January to 9th January 2011

• ‘Gradience In Ditransitives and Morphological Specifities: The Case Of Oriya’(With Dr. Pritha Chandra) Presented at All India Conference of Linguists,Lucknow University, on 21st December, 2010

• ‘Oriya Passives with Ditransitives’ Presented at Lancaster Post Graduate Conference Lancaster University, UK, on 5th July 2010

• Yes-no Questions: Probing the Structures of Indian English (With Pritha Chandra), Presented at 31st All India Conference of Linguistics, Hyderabad Central University, from 15th to 17th Dec 2009

Invited talks:

• "Linguistic Diversity and Social Inclusion in India", Virtual Lecture on August 31, 2021, School of Law, Bennett University, Greater Noida.

• "Teaching & Learning: Challenges & Opportunities", Panel Discussion on August 26, 2021, International Virtual Conference on Interdisciplinary Approaches to Education Research and Language Teaching, Kumaraguru College of Technology, held from August 25-26, 2021.

• "Language Learning Strategies", Virtual Lecture on August 24, 2021, Online Course on Teaching, Testing and Evaluation for Odia Language Teachers of Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti, NTS, CIIL, Mysore.

• "Blended Learning: Futuristic Teaching Process', Virtual Lecture on December 9, 2020, Online FDP on 'Rejuvenating Teaching Skills: Life Skill Management', IPS Academy Institute of Engineering & Science, held from December 7-11, 2020.

• "Attitudinal Copulas in Odia and Other Indo-Aryan Languages", (with Foong Ha Yap), Virtual Lecture on October 23, 2020, Virtual Talk Series, University of Sydney.

• "Understanding Language through the lens of Linguistics", Virtual Lecture on October 17, 2020, International Virtual Talk Series, Kumaraguru College of Liberal Arts and Science, held from October 12-17, 2020. 

• "Linguistics research: Interactional, Diachronic and Typological Approaches', Virtual lecture on October 9, 2020, at the One-day international webinar on "Methods, Tools and Techniques in the Current Research: Linguistics and Beyond" organized by the School of Humanities, KIIT University, Bhubaneswar. 

• "Promoting Public Awareness through Visual Images: A Study on Cartoons", Talke delivered at Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, on January 9, 2019. 

• ‘Re-Understanding passives from South Asian perspectives’ Delivered at Hong Kong Polytechnic University on 2nd October 2015.

• ‘Phonology-Morphology Mismatches in English: A Case Study on New Words’ Delivered at BITS Pilani (Hyderabad Campus) on 27th Aug 2016.

Events Organized:

• AICTE-STT on 'Language, Culture and Cognition', at IIT Madras, held from April 26-May 01, 2021.

• "2nd International Conference on Indigenous Languages (ICOIL-2)", Co-organized with Sweta Sinha and Uma Pappuswamy, at IIT Madras, held from February 13-14, 2020.

• AICTE-STC on 'Appreciating Linguistics: An Interdisciplinary Approach', Co-organized with Srinivasa Chakravarthy, at IIT Madras, held from October 7-12, 2019.