OVERVIEW

The module builds upon the program of Chinese Language II and 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 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 build relatively complex sentences, extend the existing lexicon, employ linguistic knowledge acquired through reading, translation and conversation activities of intermediate difficulty. The Lettorato and Modulo teorico aim at preparing the students to reach HSK3 (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

Students need to have passed Chinese Language 1.

TEACHING METHODS

The module has two components:

- Language module (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.

- Theoretical module (first 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 Language Module and Theoretical Module is strongly recommended and will be monitored.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The Language Module 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 Theoretical Module 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.

Non attending students are required to get in touch with the module instructure in order to eventually agree on a different programme, additional readings, etc.

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.

 - 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)

XU HAN

LESSONS

LESSONS START

The Lettorato will be held on both the first and second semester, whilst the Module Teorico only on the first semester. The first semester starts on Monday, 30 September 2024.

MODULO TEORICO timetable:

Monday, 9:00-10:00, Aula Magna Polo

Wednesday, 17:00-19:00 Aula IV, Balbi 5

The first lecture of Modulo Teorico will be held on Monday, 30 September 2024.

LETTORATO timetable:

Tuesday 9-11, BALBI 5, aula IV

Wednesday, 12-15, BALBI 5, aula IV 

The first lecture of Lettorato will be held on Tuesday, 1 October 2024

Class schedule

CHINESE LANGUAGE II

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The exam consists of:

1) for the Language Module: a written and an oral assessment;

2) for the Theoretical Module: a written assessment. 

The partial results of all the assessment are valid for one academic year. 

The written assessment of Language Module consists of: 1. a dictation (words and sentences); 2. a test that verifies the competence related to the writing of Chinese characters. In both assessments students are not allowed to use the dictionary. The overall duration of the written assessment is approximately one hour. Please note: in order for the written assessment to be considered overall sufficient, both components have to be at least sufficient. 

The oral assessment of the Language Module consists of a conversation of medium difficulty with the teacher. Students have to demonstrate the acquisition of all the fundamental grammar notions addressed during the module, and a knowledge of the phonetics as well as the writing system. 

The written assessment for the Theoretical Module consists of two parts: 1. a short translation from Chinese to Italian (with a print dictionary, max duration 2 hours); 2. a quiz related to the grammar and the mandatory reading, with open and closed answers (without the dictionary, max duration 1 hour and 30 minutes). Students have to demonstrate, for both assessment components, the acquisition of the linguistic and grammar addressed during the Theoretical module, as well as the mandatory readings of the bibliography. Please note: in order for the written assessment to be considered overall sufficient, both components have to be at least sufficient. The overall lenght of the written assessment for the Theoretical Module is max 3 hours and 30 minutes. 

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The assessments of the Language Module will verify the acquisition of the notions related to the comprehension and written and oral production, with reference to the topics addressed during the lectures and the reading list, as well as a knowledge of the lexicon. 

The assessment of the Theoretical Module will verify the grammar points explained during the lectures and the ability of students to recognise and put them into practice (translation component), as well as to use them in specific contexts (quiz/questions). It will also verify the knowledge of the mandatory readings in the bibliography (quiz/questions). It will also test the ability of written production, the correct use of the lexicon (with reference to the theoretical notions of the grammar) and the possession of critical thinking. 

FURTHER INFORMATION

Students who have valid certification of physical or learning disabilities on file with the University and who wish to discuss possible accommodations or other circumstances regarding lectures, coursework and exams, should get in touch both with Prof. Sara Dickinson (sara.dickinson@unige.it) – who is the Department's disability liaison – and the module instructor.