Degrees
University of Brasilia, Brazil – 2015
Ph. D. in Linguistics
University of Brasilia, Brazil – 2010
Masters in Linguistics
University of Brasilia, Brazil – 2008
B.A. in Brazilian Portuguese as a Second Language
Areas of Expertise and Research Interests
- Language for Specific Purposes
- Proficiency examinations
- Curriculum design for Less-Commonly Taught Languages
- Open Educational Resources and multilingual practices
- Virtual collaboration and additional language development
Recent publications
Silva, Leonardo; Fernandes, Eugênia. Plural: Português Pluricêntrico, a Workbook. Boavista Press/Pressbooks, 2024. Open-source Workbook. This workbook was developed with support from the Less Commonly Taught and Indigenous Languages Partnership at Michigan State University, through a Title VI federally funded grant.
Fernandes, Eugênia. Complex Dynamic Systems Theory and the Teaching of Portuguese as a Pluricentric Language. In: Portuguese as an Additional Language (PAL): Research-informed Pedagogical Approaches. Rowman & Littlefield: Lanham, 2023. Book chapter.
Fernandes, Eugênia; Silva, Leonardo; Almeida, Camila; Dutra e Mello, Tatiana. Plural: Português Pluricêntrico (Plural: Pluricentric Portuguese.) Boavista Press/Pressbooks, 2023. Open-source Textbook. 2.ed.
Barbosa, Queila, Queiroz, Rodrigo, and Eugênia Fernandes. “Learning experiences in a virtual exchange project: the University of California, Davis’ and the Federal University of Acre’s first partnership”. The ESPecialist, vol. 43, no. 1, 2022, pp-1-18. https://doi.org/10.23925/2318-7115.2022v43i1a16. Peer-reviewed article.
Fernandes, Eugênia; Silva, Leonardo; Almeida, Camila; Dutra e Mello, Tatiana. Plural: Português Pluricêntrico (Plural: Pluricentric Portuguese.) Boavista Press/Pressbooks, 2021. Open-source Textbook.
Fernandes, Eugênia. Transformative Practices in Portuguese Lower-division Classes in Northern California: Student Engagement and Community Contributions. Hispania: Transformative Pedagogy in K–20 Portuguese and Spanish Classroom. pp. 21-26, 2021. Special issue.
Fernandes, Eugênia. A língua portuguesa em contexto internacional: um guia para professores (Portuguese language in the international context: a guide for teachers.) Boavista Press, 2020. Book.
Fernandes, Eugênia. Oliveira, Leilane Moraes. Não perenidade como característica do Programa de Leitorado brasileiro (No perpetuation as a characteristic of the Brazilian Lectureship Program). Domínios da Linguagem Journal: pp. 1-28, 2020. Peer-reviewed article.
Fernandes, Eugênia; Oliveira Silva, Renata. A adoção de uma abordagem eclética: da avaliação-diagnóstica à elaboração de um syllabus orgânico em turmas mistas com falantes/aprendizes de português como língua herança (The adoption of an eclectic approach: from the diagnostic assessment to the syllabus design in mixed classes with heritage speakers of Portuguese.) In: Paulo Osório & Luis Gonçalves (Orgs.) O Ensino de Português como Língua Não Materna: Estratégias e Abordagens de Sucesso (The teaching of Portuguese as non-native language: strategies and successful approaches). Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Dialogarts, v.1, pp. 307-330, 2019. Book chapter.
Honors & Awards
Notable Faculty Recognition. Office of Global Learning, Florida International University, 2025.
Honorable Mention for Excellence in Teaching Less Commonly Taught Languages. CLASP (Consortium of Latin American Studies Programs), 2025.
Excellence in Service for the Portuguese Special Interest Group. The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Security, Chicago, 2023.
The National Interest Waiver for National Security. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security. 2023
Academic Publication of the Year (Plural: Português Pluricêntrico). American Organization of Portuguese, Harvard University, 2022.
Portuguese Language Professor of the Year. American Organization of Portuguese, Harvard University, 2022.
College of Letters and Science Distinguished Teaching Award. University of California, Davis, 2022.
Outstanding Teacher Award. California Language Teachers’ Association. 2022.
Service
American Organization of Teachers of Portuguese. President. 2023 – present.
Portuguese Language Journal. Manager. 2024 – present.
Revista Luso-Hispánica. Guest editor 2024 – 2025.
American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. Chair of the Portuguese Special Interest Group. 2021– 2023.
Portuguese Language Journal. Editor. 2019 – 2023.
Brazilian Association of Linguistics. Member of the Applied Linguistics Committee. 2021 – 2023.