Chinese

A.Y. 2024/2025
9
Max ECTS
60
Overall hours
SSD
L-OR/21
Learning objectives
The course is aimed at students who have no knowledge of the Chinese language and aims to provide the basis for learning the standard Chinese language (putonghua), spoken and written, in daily and routine contexts. The learning of phonetics and character writing will initially be emphasized, and then continued with the first elementary notions of grammar and syntax.
Expected learning outcomes
At the end of the course students will be able, in addition to reading and translating the texts of the manual, to support conversations in daily and routine situations, such as presenting, presenting family and friends, greeting and thanking, talking about time and seasons, describing the place where you live, presenting study courses, shopping, etc. online.
Single course

This course can be attended as a single course.

Course syllabus and organization

Single session

Responsible
Lesson period
First trimester
Course syllabus
Program Unit 1:
Introduction to the Chinese language; writing, phonetics and transcription system start-up; grammatical and syntactic structure of the simple sentence.
The didactic units 1-6 of the Chinese language textbook - elementary course will be carried out.
Program Teaching Unit 2:
Verbal Predicates; introduction to verbal complements; prepositional phrases; final modal particle indicating the perfective action or the change of state; action in progress.
The didactic units 7-9 and 11-14 of the Chinese Language - Elementary Course textbook will be carried out.
Program Teaching Unit 3 - Introduction to writing and using the Chinese dictionary:
Writing simple and complex characters; recognition of the radicals in order to consult the Chinese-Italian dictionary.
Prerequisites for admission
No linguistic competences are required. The students who have already studied Chinese in high schools are warmly invited to follow the lessons of the mother tongue teacher.
Teaching methods
The Italian teacher will explain the new words, the grammatical and syntactic rules; she is also responsible for translating conversations and readings from Chinese into Italian and translating sentences from Italian to Chinese.
The mother tongue teacher will take care of the pronunciation and writing of Chinese characters, and will exercise students in understanding and exposition.
Teaching Resources
Texts adopted
BULFONI C. - SUN X.L., Chinese language - Elementary course, Unicopli Editions, Milan, 2019
ZHANG Y.F. - BULFONI C., Tingting, dudu, xiexie, Unicopli Editions, Milan, 2014

Recommended readings
ABBIATI M., Guide to the Chinese language, Carocci, Rome, 2008
ALLETON V., The Chinese writing, Astrolabio, Rome, 2006, or:
ALLETON V., The challenge of Chinese writing, Carocci, Rome, 2012

Recommended dictionaries
Compact dictionary Italian-Chinese and Chinese-Italian and conversations, Zanichelli, Bologna, 2017
Assessment methods and Criteria
The exam consists of a written test and an oral test, both mandatory. In order to take part in the oral exam it is mandatory to have passed the written test.

The written test for Italian students involves the elaboration of different exercise methods. In particular it consists of:
- dictation of simple sentences
- phrases in characters to be rewritten in pīnyīn and translated into Italian
- sentences to be translated from Italian into Chinese (characters only)
- phrases to be rearranged
- phrases in which to insert the missing word in one of the spaces indicated as A, B, C, and D.

At the end of the first semester an 'a itinere', non-compulsory verification is scheduled.

The oral discussion for Italian students will be divided into two parts:
- reading and translation of conversations and passages and explanation of some grammatical structures present within all the lessons dealt with during the course
- conversation in Chinese with the mother tongue teacher.

The written test for Chinese students involves the composition of a theme in Chinese.

The oral discussion for Chinese students only involves an interview with the Italian teacher: the candidate will be asked to try his hand at translating the conversations and readings taken from the text book 'Lingua cinese - corso elementare' into Italian
Unità didattica 1
L-OR/21 - CHINESE AND SOUTH ASIAN LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Unità didattica 2
L-OR/21 - CHINESE AND SOUTH ASIAN LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Unità didattica 3
L-OR/21 - CHINESE AND SOUTH ASIAN LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours