OVERVIEW

The module provides students with the knowledge related to the grammar of modern Chinese language; it enables them to develop skills related to linguistic and translation activities of intermediate level of difficulty.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims at providing students with a language competence which equals level B1- of the CEFR, which allows them to interact effectively in the most common communicative contexts, to understand and produce written texts about familiar topics and to develop an oral competence allowing them to fulfil practical needs and to identify already known terms and concepts within a speech. At the end of the course, students will know some 700 characters and 600 words and will be able to approach texts of medium complexity with the help of a dictionary.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The module will address advanced topics of Chinese grammar (more specifically, verbal complements), in order to allow students to create relative complex sentences, extend the existing lexicon, employ linguistic knowledge acquired through reading, translation and conversation activities of medium difficulty. The Lettorato and Modulo teorico intend to prepare the students to gain a HSK 3 (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) linguistic competence. The module will teach the students how to understand texts of medium difficulty on already known topics; improve oral skills (comprehension and production); develop translation skills (from Chinese to Italian and viceversa); interact with others on common daily conversations and communication exchanges.

PREREQUISITES

The module requires an in-depth theoretical and practical knowledge of Italian language equal to a native speaker or at least to level C1 of the CEFR. Knowledge of an additional foreign languge is strongly recommended.

TEACHING METHODS

The module has two components:

- Lettorato (on the first and second semester), consisting of 100 hours of face-to-face teaching, during which the lexicon required for HSK3 will be introduced and explained; students will be trained to understand and produce sentences of intermediate difficulty in order to be confident in daily conversations of medium difficulty.

- Modulo Teorico (second semester), consisting of 30 of face-to-face teaching, during which the students will be taught the contents and syntax of Chinese language (intermediate level), with particular attention to verbal complements, also through the translation of sentences of medium difficulty (from Chinese to Italian and viceversa).

Attendance to both Lettorato and Theoretical Module is strongly recommended.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The Lettorato will proceed with the teaching of the lexicon and with the improvement of students' oral skills, by addressing the study of more complex parts of the discourse. The Modulo Teorico will concentrate on verbal complements (including the complement of degree, result complement, direction complement, etc.), as well as the ba/bei constructions, ways of placing emphasis, subordinate clauses, etc.  On completion of the module, the students will demonstrate to have gained the knowledge of morphology, syntax and lexicon required for HSK3. Students will be able to apply concepts learnt through reading and understanding of Chinese-language texts, and will be able to speak in coherence with the requirements of HSK3. The students will also demonstrate to have carried out independent reading and study and will be able to contextualise what he/she learnt in a critical and informed way.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

- Mandatory manuals:

Abbiati, Magda, Grammatica di cinese moderno, Venezia, Cafoscarina, 1998.

Abbiati, Magda, Zhang Ruoying, Dialogare in cinese (Voll 1 e 2), Venezia, Cafoscarina, 2010.

- Mandatory books:

Hodge, Bob and Kam Louie, The Politics of Chinese Language and Culture: The Art of Reading Dragons, London, Routledge, 2012.

Plus one selected from the titles below:

Stafutti, Stefania and Gianmaria Ajani, Colpirne uno per educarne cento. Slogan e parole d'ordine per capire la Cina, Torino, Einaudi, 2008.

Yan Lianke, Servire il popolo, Einaudi, Torino, 2007.    

Yu Hua, La Cina in dieci parole, Feltrinelli, Milano, 2015.

 - Additional manuals:

Romagnoli, Chiara, Wang Jing, Grammatica d’uso della lingua cinese, Milano, Hoepli 2016.

Ross, Claudia e Jing-heng Sheng Ma, Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide/Workbook, London, Routledge, 2014 (2° ed).

- Dictionaries:      

Zhao Xiuying, Gatti, Franco, Cinese. Dizionario compatto cinese-italiano, italiano-cinese e conversazioni, Bologna, Zanichelli, 2017.

Oxford Advanced Learner’s English-Chinese Dictionary, Beijing, The Commercial Press/Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2014 (8th edition).

Casacchia, Giorgio, Bai Yunkun, Dizionario cinese-italiano, Venezia, Cafoscarina,  2013.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

GIOVANNA PUPPIN (President)

XIAODANYANG ZHANG

LUCA PISANO (Substitute)

LESSONS

LESSONS START

The Lettorato will take place during the first and second semester, whilst the Module Teorico on the second semester. Further details on the practical organisation in light of the evolution of the sanitary emergency will be given in the Aulaweb course page.

Class schedule

CHINESE LANGUAGE II

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The exam includes two components: written and oral. Students need to pass the written exam in order to take part to the oral exam.

Written exam:

- quiz on Chinese grammar (without the dictionary);

- Chinese-Italian translation (with the dictionary);

- dictation (without the dictionary).

Total duration of the written exam: 4 hours.

Attention! In order for the written exam to be considered a "pass", every single component has to be at least sufficient. All the components of the written exam need to be given during the same round (appello).

Oral exam:

Students will have to demonstrate that they acquired the intermediate elements of Chinese grammar taught during the module. They will have to be able to have a basic conversation with the language assistant. Students will have to show a mastery of the contents related to the compulsory readings listed in the bibliography, including the novels, for which they must also be able to provide an appropriate contextualisation, using the indications and suggestions provided by the module convenor during the year.

The oral exam will take place in Italian (apart from the conversation with the language assistant).

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The written exam Chinese Language II will verify the appropriate acquisition of grammar and lexical notions, as well as the futher development of skills related to the contents of both Lettorato and Modulo teorico (grammar quiz), of written comprehension (Chinese-Italian translation), and oral understanding (dictation).

The oral exam related to the Modulo teorico will assess the aquisition of grammar notions and structures addressed during the module, as well as verify students' ability in recognising and using them. The quality of exposition of the students, their appropriate use language (especially when explaining the grammar theoretical principles), as well as their critical orientation will be also assessed. The knowledge related to the readings in the bibliography will be verified too.

The oral exam related to the Lettorato aims at assessing the skills and knowledge with reference to reading comprehension and oral production on the topics addressed during the module.

Exam schedule