Anna Margetts

Anna Margetts is a Senior Lecturer in the Linguistics Program at Monash University, where she has been a faculty member since 2002. Her academic journey includes a PhD from the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, fieldwork on the Saliba language of Papua New Guinea, and prior studies at the University of Cologne and SUNY Buffalo.

Research Interests:

• Language documentation and grammatical description
• Linguistic typology and semantic-syntactic mapping
• Discourse-syntax interface and narrative structure
• Three-participant events, valence, and transitivity
• Demonstratives and spatial deixis
• Child language acquisition and conceptual metaphors

Her recent research focuses on cross-linguistic patterns in semantic encoding, particularly in caused motion and multimodal communication. The analysis of her publications reveals a consistent emphasis on empirical fieldwork, typological comparison, and the interplay between syntax, semantics, and discourse. She has led multiple ARC and VolkswagenStiftung-funded projects, demonstrating sustained external research support.

Scientific Engagement:

• Guest editor and peer reviewer for John Benjamins, Oxford University Press, Linguistics, and Gesture
• Active contributor to the linguistic research community through editorial and review responsibilities

Anna Margetts has supervised Honours, Masters, and PhD theses across diverse topics in linguistics. Her grants include major projects such as 'Where Gesture Meets Grammar' (ARC, 2024–2027) and 'Cross-Linguistic Patterns in Three-Participant Events' (VolkswagenStiftung). She is involved in collaborative, cross-linguistic research networks and continues to publish in leading linguistic venues.

Labs and Research Teams: She leads and collaborates in cross-institutional research teams focused on multimodal communication and typological semantics, working with scholars from Germany, the Netherlands, and beyond. Her work integrates linguistic analysis with cognitive and anthropological perspectives.