Jerfferson Manoel Araujo da Silva Junior

Latin Literature Scholar & Educator

Professional Profile

Jerfferson Manoel Araujo da Silva Junior is a researcher and Latin instructor specializing in comparative literature, with a core focus on Classical, Medieval, and Renaissance Latin texts. For over a decade, he has taught Latin utilizing active and immersive language methodologies. His current research centers on textual translation, epistolography, and the literature of Colonial Brazil, including Jesuit writers and Old Tupi philology. He is currently working on the first Portuguese translation of Petrarch’s poetic epistles.

Academic Education

  • Ph.D. Candidate in Language Studies – Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Brazil (2025–Present).

    • Doctoral Project: Undertaking the first Portuguese translation of Petrarch’s Epystole.

  • M.A. in Language Studies – Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Brazil (2022–2024).

    • Master’s Thesis: "Vestígios de autorrepresentações autorais de Francesco Petrarca: estudo tradutológico da epístola métrica 'Ad se ipsum'" [Traces of Authorial Self-Representation in Francesco Petrarch: A Translation Study of the Metric Epistle 'Ad se ipsum'].

  • Specialization in the Latin Language – Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Brazil (2019–2021).

  • B.A. in Spanish Language and Literature – Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Brazil (2014–2021).

  • Program in Humanistic Studies – Accademia Vivarium Novum, Rome (2017–2018).

Pedagogical Expertise & Experience

  • Active Latin Instruction: Over ten years of experience teaching Latin through active language communicative methods, emphasizing oral and written fluency.

  • Didactics of Ancient Languages: Specialized in the application of translation studies to classical and early modern literature.

Research & Academic Interests

  • Latin Literature: Epistolography, poetic translation, and intertextuality in Renaissance Latin literature.

  • Colonial & Indigenous Philology: Research in Old Tupi literature and colonial Jesuit texts in South America.

Philological Tools & Languages

  • Digital Humanities Tools: Experienced in classical databases and corpus linguistics, including Diogenes (TLG, TLL) and Corpus Corporum (University of Zurich).

  • Languages:

    • Portuguese: Native.

    • Latin: Advanced Academic Mastery.

    • Ancient Greek: Basic Knowledge.

    • Old Tupi: Intermediate Reading Knowledge.

    • English, Italian, & Spanish: Intermediate Proficiency.