About
Yeray Ramos-Silgado was born in the northern Spanish city of Pamplona, located in the autonomous region of Navarra, but spent most of his formative years in Seville (Andalucía), in the southern part of the country. His upbringing, however, was geographically diverse; he also spent considerable time in Badajoz (Extremadura) and in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, in the Canary Islands. This varied geographical experience during his childhood and adolescence enriched his cultural awareness and linguistic sensitivity—qualities that would later become central to his academic and professional identity. With ancestral roots tracing back to both the Basque Country (link) and the indigenous Guanche people of the Canary Islands (link), he takes pride in the cultural and genetic tapestry that connects him to multiple regions across the Iberian Peninsula. Indeed, his given name, Yeray, originates from the now-extinct Guanche language, once spoken throughout the Canary Islands until the 16th and 17th centuries—a linguistic heritage he honors and deeply values.
At the age of seventeen, he embarked on his first study abroad experience, traveling to Brighton, England, to study English as a second language. This early international academic endeavor marked the beginning of what would become a lifelong passion for language learning and cross-cultural exploration. He later resided in London for an extended period, further immersing himself in British culture and academic life, while also spending shorter periods in other English cities such as Birmingham, Southampton, Bath, Manchester, Chester, and Leicester, among others. In addition to his time in the United Kingdom, Yeray has traveled extensively throughout Europe and North Africa, cultivating a deep appreciation for cultural diversity and linguistic plurality. At the age of twenty-four, he relocated to the United States, where he has resided ever since. This broad intercultural experience has played a foundational role in shaping both his personal worldview and his professional dedication to the teaching and acquisition of foreign languages.
His academic formation reveals a longstanding dedication to the field of language education and a solid foundation in foreign and second language acquisition, developed through a diverse and international academic trajectory spanning Europe and the United States. He began his studies at the University of Seville (link), where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in English Language and Literature (Philology) and simultaneously studied French, Italian, and Mandarin Chinese as foreign languages. During his undergraduate years, he participated in the Erasmus Program at London Metropolitan University (link), focusing on English linguistics and second language acquisition. Following the completion of his undergraduate degree, he undertook a graduate training course in teaching Spanish as a foreign language at the Centro de Formación Permanente of the University of Seville (link), a pivotal step that solidified his professional orientation toward second language pedagogy. He subsequently earned a master’s degree in second language acquisition and the teaching of Spanish and English as L2 from the same institution, further strengthening his theoretical and practical expertise in bilingual education.
In pursuit of greater specialization, he moved to the United States, where he completed graduate coursework in foreign language teaching—specifically in theory and practice—at the University of Michigan. He later enrolled at Ohio University (link), where he earned a Master of Arts in Hispanic Linguistics and Literature and a Graduate Certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL), consolidating his scholarly and pedagogical competencies in both Spanish and English instruction. Most recently, he completed a master’s degree in teacher training for secondary education, language teaching, and vocational training at Pablo de Olavide University in Seville (link). This extensive academic path—across multiple institutions and countries—has equipped him with a multilingual, interdisciplinary perspective on language teaching and learning. His international education continues to inform his professional philosophy and enriches his contributions to the field of foreign and second language acquisition.
In Fall 2012, Yeray joined the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures (RLL) at the University of Michigan after being awarded a prestigious and highly competitive Visiting Lecturer I position, an appointment established through a collaborative program between the University of Seville’s International Institute (link) and the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Since his arrival, he has become an integral and dynamic member of the instructional team, known for his pedagogical innovation, academic dedication, and unwavering commitment to student-centered learning. Over the years, he has cultivated a reputation as an extraordinary foreign language instructor, whose teaching consistently reflects excellence, inclusivity, and creativity. His instructional philosophy is grounded in contemporary research in second language acquisition and draws from a diverse repertoire of evidence-based methodologies. Across the courses he teaches, he skillfully integrates the Communicative Approach, the Flipped-Classroom Method, and the Content-Based Approach, thereby fostering linguistic proficiency, intercultural awareness, and critical thinking. Yeray has taught a wide range of undergraduate courses, demonstrating a rare versatility that has made him a cornerstone of the department’s Elementary Language Program (ELP). His teaching portfolio includes multiple iterations of SPAN 103, SPAN 230, SPAN 231, and SPAN 232, offered across regular academic terms as well as in intensive spring and summer sessions.
Of particular note is his original design of SPAN 232 Topics: LGBTQA in the Hispanic World: Artistic and Cultural Manifestations, a pioneering course offered repeatedly due to strong student demand and its unique focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion. This course represents a landmark in curricular innovation, as the University of Michigan became the first institution in the United States to offer a course—entirely taught in Spanish—dedicated to the study of the LGBTQAI+ community in Spain. The course examines the historical trajectory of the LGBTQAI+ movement from the early twentieth century to the present, with special attention to the impact of the Franco dictatorship on gender and sexual dissidence. A central component is the cinematic work of Spanish film director Pedro Almodóvar. Through in-depth analysis of films such as Todo sobre mi madre (1999), La mala educación (2004), and La piel que habito (2011), students explore queer identities, trauma, resistance, and artistic expression in contemporary Spanish cinema. This course exemplifies how foreign language instruction can meaningfully intersect with cultural history, critical theory, and social justice. Furthermore, Yeray has also contributed to the department’s upper- division curriculum through his instruction of SPAN 277 (Spanish in Context: Advancing your Proficiency), a course in which he helps students develop advanced linguistic competence through an integrated focus on grammar, reading, and composition. Additionally, he has twice participated in the Center for Global and Intercultural Study (CGIS)’s Study Abroad Program in Granada, Spain, offering students a transformative linguistic and cultural immersion experience.
Beyond the classroom, Yeray plays an active role in the department’s pedagogical development. His invited lecture for the graduate course ROMLING 528, titled “LGBTQA Inclusiveness in the Language Classroom and How to Challenge Heteronormativity,” reflects his commitment to inclusive and reflective teaching practices. In 2015–2016, he received the Faculty Communities for Inclusive Teaching Award from the Center for Research on Learning and Teaching (CRLT) for organizing specialized workshops aimed at challenging heteronormativity in the language classroom. That same year, he was first nominated for the Golden Apple Award, the University of Michigan’s only student-driven teaching award. In 2016, he delivered two widely acclaimed presentations titled “LGBTQA Inclusiveness in the Language Classroom: Challenging Heteronormative Assumptions while Teaching and Learning a Foreign Language”, further solidifying his position as a leading advocate for inclusivity in language education. In 2019, he led a departmental presentation titled “How to Design a SPAN 232 Special Topics Course”, offering practical guidance for developing culturally responsive curricula.
In that same context, he co-designed and co-edited the website for SPAN 232 Topics courses (link), now a vital digital resource widely used by instructors and students within the ELP. That year, he was again nominated for the Golden Apple Award (2019–2020) and was selected to participate in the LEO Inclusive Teaching Program, a CRLT initiative supporting diverse and inclusive syllabi. Between 2019 and 2021, he was also nominated for the Honored Instructor Award, an accolade granted by Michigan Housing students. In 2021, he combined his interests in culture and pedagogy through an online cooking demonstration titled “Hispanic / Spanish Gastronomy” during RLL’s Sixth Share Fair. Most recently, in 2022–2023, he received the LEO Inclusive Teaching Development Fund for his project Promoting Inclusive and Respectful Student Feedback: A Classroom-Based Approach, aimed at fostering equitable and dialogic learning environments. These achievements reflect not only Yeray’s pedagogical excellence but also his ongoing commitment to inclusive, innovative, and culturally rich instruction in the field of foreign language education. His longstanding service to the ELP and his department, coupled with his international academic background, continues to enrich the Spanish program and exemplify the mission of foreign language instruction in the 21st century.
In addition to his deep interest in foreign and second language acquisition, Yeray is passionate about various related fields: English and Spanish phonetics and phonology; Spanish dialectology; history of the Spanish language; Hispanic linguistics; sociolinguistics; LGBTQAI+ linguistics; Spanish morphosyntax; Romance languages; individual differences in foreign / second language learning; inclusive pedagogies; individual differences in foreign / second language education; and the representation of marginalized communities in the Hispanic world. He is especially committed to developing inclusive curricula that integrate LGBTQAI+ content, aiming to foster awareness and respect for diverse gender identities and sexual orientations in the language classroom. For example, he has recently developed and implemented materials focusing on the muxes, a third-gender community within the Zapotec culture of Oaxaca, Mexico (link). In addition to advocating for LGBTQAI+ representation, Yeray is currently exploring the Afro-Spanish community, studying influential figures such as footballers Iñaki and Nico Williams, musical artists El Chojin and Concha Buika, and author Desirée Bela-Lobedde (link). He believes that foreign language curricula often default to Eurocentric or homogenized narratives that obscure the plural identities within the Spanish-speaking world. By integrating the work and stories of such figures, Yeray seeks to offer students a more accurate and inclusive understanding of contemporary Hispanic societies.
In his free time, Yeray enjoys cooking Spanish cuisine, listening to music (some of his favorite artists are Adele, Bomba Estéreo, Concha Buika, C. Tangana, El Chojin, Lauryn Hill, Lady Gaga, Lola Young, Mónica Naranjo, Natalia Lafourcade, Rigoberta Bandini, Rodrigo Cuevas, Rosalía, Samantha Hudson, Sia, Silvana Estrada, Villana Antillana, amongst plenty of others), reading avidly, mental health, LGBTQAI+ rights, traveling within the United States and to countries he has yet to visit, hiking, exercising, caring for plants, exploring new restaurants, kayaking, swimming, engaging in interior decoration, and—most importantly—spending quality time with his affectionate and loving dog, Luna.
