澳大新語 • 2022 UMAGAZINE 25 47 人物專訪 • EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW since it was so pervasive in the popular culture of the time,’ he says. The love for the language led him to fall in love with English literature. He admired the works of authors such as Edgar Allan Poe, especially liking his novel The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket. In high school, De Chavez often read English novels as he waited for his ride home from school. His English teacher, Ms Salve Regalado, noticed that and started regular afternoon chats with De Chavez about the books he was reading. At that time, De Chavez thought Ms Regalado just wanted to talk with him. Later, he realised her good intentions. ‘When I shared stories with Ms Regalado, I would observe her expression. When I noticed her interest waning, I would speed up the pace or just skip to the exciting parts. I would also adjust my tone. When she looked interested, I would try to amplify her interest. In other words, I was learning how to tell a story,’ he says. Inspired by Ms Regalado, De Chavez decided to become a teacher. He studied English literature at the University of the Philippines and completed his master’s degree at the National University of If you have attended the courses of Jeremy De Chavez, assistant professor of the Department of English at the University of Macau (UM), you may be impressed by hearing him play his viola in class. Prof De Chavez is good at using audio and visual aids to help students engage more deeply with course content. Prof De Chavez says, ‘Teaching is telling a good story. If you can arouse wonder in students, it will cultivate a desire to learn.’ Developing Storytelling Skills from an Early Age Growing up in Manila, the Philippines, a colony of Spain and then the United States since the 16th century, and occupied by Japan during World War II, Prof De Chavez was influenced by the country’s colonial culture. ‘My surname “De Chavez” is Spanish while my first name “Jeremy” is a rather common American name,’ he says. ‘My name is marked by the colonial legacy of the Philippines,’ says Prof De Chavez. When De Chavez was young, he spoke English with his friends, and they watched American movies and listened to American pop music together. ‘My friends and I thought it was “cool” to speak English 盧杰教授在2019/2020年度澳大孔子學院畢業禮朗誦李白的《將進酒》 Prof Jeremy De Chavez recites Li Bai’s Do Drink Wine at the graduation ceremony of the UM Confucius Institute for the 2019/2020 academic year
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