Abhishek Avtans- is a Lecturer at the Leiden University Institute for Area Studies.

More information about Abhishek Avtans-

Fields of interest

Hindi / Urdu Linguistics, south Asian (Indic) Languages, Literature & Culture, Teaching Hindi as a Foreign Language, Second Language Acquisition, Blended Language Learning, Language Documentation, endangered languages of south Asia.

Teaching

Various courses in Hindi as a foreign/other language, Hindi Literature & south Asian Linguistics including:

• Hindi language for Beginners, Intermediate and Advanced levels: all three models of communication (interpersonal, presentational, & interpretive)
• Contemporary Hindi /Urdu Literature
• Areal Linguistics of south Asia.
• Sociolinguistics of south Asia.
• Languages of Islanders in south Asia
• Hindi in Practice – a research oriented Digital Humanities course

Supervision:

I have supervised BA & MA theses on topics related to study of various genres of vernacular literature written in Hindi, Urdu, Awadhi, Braj Bhasha, Bhojpuri languages. Some of the Research MA and BA theses, I have supervised are mentioned below:

• Research MA thesis titled ‘’Stories about Ageing: Untold Stories, Unheard voices’’ – Solange Santarelli (2016) https://openaccess.leidenuniv.nl/handle/1887/44088
• BA Thesis - Kāshī kā Assī: Literary Representation of a Changing City – Olli-Pekka Littunen (2019) https://openaccess.leidenuniv.nl/handle/1887/77268
• MA Thesis – Long live Banāras: Vārāṇasī in Viśvanāth Mukharjī´s “Banā Rahe Banāras” Olli-Pekka Littunen (2020) https://hdl.handle.net/1887/136049

Curriculum vitae

Education

• PhD (in progress) in Cognitive Linguistics, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India, Dissertation Title: A Grammar of Space in Hindi
• MPhil (awarded), Linguistics, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India, Dissertation title: Deictic Categories in Great Andamanese
• MA, Linguistics, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
• BA, Japanese Language and Literature, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
• Certificate of Proficiency in Italian Language, Instituto di Italiano di Cultura, New Delhi
• University Teaching Qualification (Basis Kwalificatie Onderwijs), ICLON, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands

Employment

• Lecturer of Hindi Language & Literature, Faculty of Humanities, Leiden University (2012-present)
• Assistant Professor in Hindi Applied Linguistics, Central Institute of Hindi (Government of India), Agra, India (2006-2012)
• Research Assistant, Vanishing Voices of Great Andamanese (A language documentation project of JNU, New Delhi and SOAS, University of London) (2005-2006)

Project

(2016-17) Design & development of web-based materials (mini grammar video tutorials, online formative assessments and practice tools) for Hindi language (CEFR Level A 1/A 2) under 'Project Blended Language Learning: Grammar mini-tutorials en Formatief toetsen' of Academic Language Centre, Faculty of Humanities, Leiden University.

(2018-19) Design & development of web-based materials (mini grammar video tutorials, online formative assessments and practice tools) for Hindi language (CEFR Level A 2/B 1) under 'Project Blended Language Learning: Grammar mini-tutorials en Formatief toetsen' of Academic Language Centre, Faculty of Humanities, Leiden University.

A sample video grammar tutorials can be accessed via this  link
https://weblectures.leidenuniv.nl/Mediasite/Play/ffaa6611cd944c209eff4332d98e9bb41d

Customized South Asian Languages courses for Academic Language Centre, Leiden University

1) Beginners to advanced Hindi / Urdu courses (speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills) for diplomats of Dutch Ministry of Foreign affairs, the Netherlands.

2) Beginners Bengali language course (speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills) for diplomats of Dutch Ministry of Foreign affairs, the Netherlands.

Key publications

Published Articles

(2017) Contributed several articles in ‘hiṁdī sāhitya jñānakośa’ (‘Hindi Literature Encyclopedia’ in 10 vols.), Ed. Shambhunath et.al, Vani Prakashan, New Delhi.

(2009) Developing Lexical Resources for Varieties of Hindi, Co-authored with Arvind Kumar, in ‘Lexicography: The Changing Landscape’, Ed. Salonee Priya, the ICFAI University Press, Hyderabad.

(2007) Humane Face of Language Documentation: a Great Andamanese Experience in Austin, Peter K. and Bond, Oliver and Nathan, David, eds. Proceedings of Conference on Language Documentation & Linguistic Theory. London, UK: Department of Linguistics, SOAS, University of London.

(2007) Hindi Bhasha ka Itihas (in Hindi), in ‘Hindi ka Itihas’ (Special volume for Vishwa Hindi Sammelan (World Hindi Conference, New York, 2007), Central Institute of Hindi, Agra, India.

(2006) Language Documentation in Andamans: ‘Highs and Lows, coauthored with Prof. Anvita Abbi, in proceedings of FEL-X, Endangered Language Foundation, UK and CIIL, Mysore.

Books (authored / edited)

(2016) Hindi Shabda Shakti aur Paribhashik Shabdavali (in Hindi), Classical Publishing Company, New Delhi

(2011) Uttar Samay ki Bhashiki (in Hindi, English Title – Post Modernist Linguistics), Jagruti Prakashan, Patna

(2009) Bhojpuri-Hindi-English Dictionary (Trilingual Hindi Variety Dictionary), Central Institute of Hindi, Agra

(2008) Jharkhand Ki Bhashayen: Vikas aur Anuprayog (in Hindi), Vishal Prakashan, Patna

(2007) Andamani Varnmala (First Alphabet Primer for children in Great Andamanese language), co-edited with Prof Anvita Abbi and Nao Junior, VOGA, JNU, New Delhi

(2006) Jharkhand ka Bhasha Parivar (in Hindi), Coauthored with Prof. Balendu Shekhar Tiwary, Classical Publishing company, Delhi

Popular Writings in Magazines and Newspapers

(2020, May 9). From Shikarpur to Caribbean Islands, the story of Sindhi businessmen | SAMAA TV. https://www.samaa.tv/culture/2020/05/from-shikarpur-to-caribbean-islands-the-story-of-sindhi-businessmen/

(2020, May 24). The story of Gora greed and a national nashā | SAMAA TV. https://www.samaa.tv/culture/2020/05/pakistan-india-history-tea-british-subcontinent-south-asia/

(2020, August 13). purānē bhārat kā nēvigēśan sisṭam thā vah, NavbharatGoldhttps://navbharattimes.indiatimes.com/navbharatgold/we-the-people/a-tale-of-palanquin-bearers-and-their-code-language/story/77502597.cms

(2021, April 22). Translating a pandemic. Himal Southasian. https://www.himalmag.com/dialectical-southasia-in-languages-2021/

 (2021, June 9). Under the sun. Himal Southasian. https://www.himalmag.com/under-the-sun-language-southasia-dialectical-2021/

(2021, August 4). It takes a village to save a language. Himal Southasian. https://www.himalmag.com/pidgins-creoles-mixed-languages-southasia-dialectical-2021/

(2021, September 17). Shaking the melting pot. Himal Southasian. https://www.himalmag.com/shaking-the-melting-pot-dialectical-2021/

Grants and awards

• ‘Young Writer prize’ for Hindi language and literature’ (Vidyapati Samman) by Patna Book Fair Organizing Committee in association with Government of Bihar, India, 2012
• Special commendation certificate for exemplary work for Hindi Dialect dictionary making by Joint Secretary (Language Division), Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India, New Delhi, 2011
• Junior Research Fellowship, Ministry of Culture, Government of India, 2004-2005

Twitter - https://twitter.com/avtansa

Academia - https://leidenuniv.academia.edu/AbhishekAvtans