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I studied anthropology, linguistics and cultural studies in my home country (Ecuador) since 1989 to 2001, after which I joined ACLC as a PhD candidate with a project entitled "Typological and social constraints on language contact", which is precisely the title of my dissertation (see link below). I settled back in Ecuador in 2007 with the purpose of working on and mainly for the indigenous languages of Ecuador. I have been involved in programs of documentation and revitalization of Sia Pedee (Chocoan), Awapit (Barbacoan), Waorani (unclassified) and most recently Andoa (Zaparoan), an Amazonian language considered extinct since 1993 but whose really last speakers "showed up" in 2009. Currently I am devoted to the documentation of this language along with the production of a basic Kichwa-Andoa dictionary and a pedagogical grammar intended for the reintroduction of the language in Andoan schools. I am also involved in the application of sociolinguistic surveys of Ecuadorian indigenous languages together with several governmental agencies in order to establish their actual state of vitality and design language policies accordingly. For an overview of Ecuadorian languages see "Languages of Ecuador" on this page.

My research interests include language contact, particularly, the influence of Spanish on Amerindian languages. In the last few years, I have focused on language documentation and description from the point of view of revitalization. Since 2007 I have published one dictionary, a pedagogical grammar and several articles about language policy-making in Ecuador. Other of my publications pertain mainly to the fields of Latin American Cultural Studies (discourse analysis applied to the study of indigenous testimonial narratives) and nineteenth-century travel literature  in Ecuador.

Typological and Social constraints on Language Contact Vol I

Typological and Social constraints on Language Contact Vol II

CV (English)

CV (Castellano)