Fieldwork & Grants
Dr. Fafulas has experience conducting linguistic fieldwork with various speech communities throughout the Americas and Europe, and his investigations have explored language shift and bilingualism in distinct settings. This work analyzes the ethnolinguistic vitality of minority languages in the Amazon (Bora, Yagua, and Ocaina) as well as in the USA (Spanish). His studies have been funded by agencies such as the National Science Foundation, Fulbright, and the National Endowment
for the Humanities.
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Linguistic Fieldwork
U.S. Midwest/South/West
Spanish-English bilinguals, adult language learners, language educators, and heritage speakers (2009-Current)
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Native speakers of Spanish (2013)
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Native speakers of Brazilian Portuguese (2011)
San Luis Potosí, México
Native speakers of Spanish and study abroad learners (2010)
Murcia, Spain
First- and second-generation speakers of Murcian and Ecuadorian Spanish (2022)
Lima, Perú
Native speakers of Spanish (2012)
Loreto, Perú
Native speakers of Spanish and indigenous languages Yagua, Bora, Okaina (2011)
More to come!
...
External
Internal
Grants
2026-2028
National Science Foundation, EPSCoR Research Fellows (PI). “Documenting Language Change and Emerging Varieties among Non-Native Speaking Communities.” Award number: 2531682. Host Site: University of Michigan. Research Collaborator: Dr. Nicholas Henriksen. ($160,498).
2022
Fulbright U.S. Scholar award, U.S.-Spain Fulbright Commission (PI). Theoretical and Applied Linguistics Master’s Program at University of Murcia, Spain. “Studying Second Dialect Acquisition and Forms of Address among Ecuadorians Living in Murcia, Spain.” ($12,000).
2022
Summer Research Stipend (PI), National Endowment for the Humanities. “Documenting Language Practices, Cultures and Ideologies among Indigenous Communities in the Peruvian Amazon.” ($6,000).
2012-2014
Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grant (Co-PI), National Science Foundation. “First and Second-Language Patterns of Variation: Acquisition and Use of Simple Present and Present Progressive Forms in Spanish and English [#1226945].” ($9,145).
2006-2007
Ambassadorial Scholarship, Rotary International [Host Club 4890 Buenos Aires, Argentina]. ($25,000).
2025-2026
ISOM Fellowship. ($9,000). This grant is aimed at exploring the social experiences and linguistic practices of bilingual males and females in Mississippi.
2025
Inclusive Teaching Learning Community, Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. ($3,000).
2024-2026
Faculty Laureates program, Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. ($35,000).
2023-2024
Faculty Approaches to Critical Thinking (FACT) Institute Grant. U.S. Spanish course redesign to enhance critical thinking skills. ($4,000).
2023-2024
Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College. Grant to develop honors course “Engaging Latinx Languages and Communities in the U.S. South.” ($5,000).
2022-2023
Achieving Equity Investment Grant (PI). “Working towards equity and documenting diversity among Latinx populations in New Destination Communities of the U.S. South.” ($7,000).
2020
Liberal Arts Faculty Grant for Research and Creative Achievement. ($10,000). This funding was provided for research documenting the changing linguistic and cultural landscape of the U.S. South.
2015-2016
Interdisciplinary Research Collaboration Award (Co-PI), “Assessing levels of nasality among children whose primary language is Spanish.” ($15,900).
2013-2014
Engagement and Outreach Scholar Award (PI), project “Dual-language immersion in rural North Carolina.” ($11,000).