Yale en primera persona: Narrativas hispanas (Yale in First Person: Hispanic Narratives)
Published: July 2025
Description
Yale en primera persona: Narrativas hispanas (Yale in First Person: Hispanic Narratives) is a powerful video library collection highlighting the lived experiences of Spanish-speaking members of the Yale community. Through 60+ short, first-person digital narratives presented in Spanish—with transcripts and captions available in English and Spanish—this open educational resource honors the linguistic and cultural richness of Hispanic communities on campus and beyond.
From stories of resilience and identity to reflections on language, family, and heritage, these videos are designed to be both educational and deeply human. Learners, instructors, and the general public are invited to use these resources for listening comprehension, cultural discussions, or personal exploration.
Course Takeaways
- Hear diverse voices from across the Hispanic diaspora—including students, faculty, and staff from eight countries.
- Explore themes like identity, belonging, joy, and cultural memory through authentic, unscripted testimonials.
- Use the videos in classrooms or independently with tools like captions, transcripts, and pedagogical guides to support language learning and cultural reflection.
Meet the Instructors
Originally from Barcelona, Spain, Lourdes Sabé received her Teaching Degree and B.A. in Social Sciences from the Universitat de Barcelona, her M.A. from Southern Connecticut State University, and a Doctorate in Modern Languages (D.M.L.) from Middlebury College. Her career shows an extensive experience in language instruction and curriculum development.
At Yale, she has taught a range of language courses (L1-L5) and coordinated the Elementary Spanish level for about ten years, as well as serving as the interim coordinator for Intermediate Spanish II. She is a scoring trainer for the College Board Spanish Language and Culture Advanced Placement (AP Test) and a trained examiner in the ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) system. Starting the academic year 2026-2027 Lourdes will coordinate the new Catalan Language Program at Yale.
She is the designer and developer of the YaleSites website Yale en primera persona: Narrativas hispanas (Yale in First Person: Hispanic Narratives), an Open Educational Resources (OER) that contains a collection of first-person digital narratives, presented in Spanish by members of the Spanish-speaking community at Yale. It aims to increase the visibility of this population, celebrate the study of the Spanish language, and to spark reflection, conversation, and appreciation for Hispanic cultures. Lourdes is also the author of the ongoing PressBooks manual Spanish for Beginners: Engaging with Authentic Materials. This OER aims to provide a range of authentic materials designed to meet the needs of elementary-level Spanish learners. It serves as a supplementary toolbox, offering genuine texts such as readings, videos, songs, and other multimedia options for the language classroom.
Her areas of interest include the acquisition of speaking skills through virtual exchange programs and technology, curriculum development, culture integration in language classes, and Catalan studies, among others.
Full Biography