Chinese I
A.Y. 2024/2025
Learning objectives
The course is aimed at further developing the knowledge of Chinese contemporary written and oral language, through the analysis and translation of selected texts and through grammar exercises. Newspaper article readings also aim at helping students further familiarize with the journalistic language and improve their knowledge of the political language.
Expected learning outcomes
At the end of the course, students will have developed the following skills:
reading and understanding Chinese newspaper articles;
translating newspaper articles from Chinese to Italian;
language skills required to pass HSK 4 exams.
reading and understanding Chinese newspaper articles;
translating newspaper articles from Chinese to Italian;
language skills required to pass HSK 4 exams.
Lesson period: year
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course can be attended as a single course.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
year
Course syllabus
The textbook will address various (socio-economic-legal) topics. The course focuses on the development of reading, syntactic analysis and comprehension skills on texts or articles in Chinese language, at an intermediate level. The texts' analysis will be accompanied by grammar and conversation exercises.
Seminars and lectures by distinguished guests from the academic world or the Chinese cultural scene will be offered. Participation in activities and events is considered an integral part of the course.
News and updates on events, educational activities and materials will be available on the ARIEL web portal.
Seminars and lectures by distinguished guests from the academic world or the Chinese cultural scene will be offered. Participation in activities and events is considered an integral part of the course.
News and updates on events, educational activities and materials will be available on the ARIEL web portal.
Prerequisites for admission
Students should be able to read and translate Chinese texts, to express themselves through articulated conversations and to translate sentences from Italian to Chinese. The course requires kowledge and abilities equivalent to an HSK3 (B1) level.
Teaching methods
Lectures will be designed to train students' critical abilities and their communicative skills. The students's in-class participation is required. Students will be asked to analyze texts and carry out different exercises, engaging in individual and colllective activities.
Discussion on selected topics will be carried out in the drill sessions with a mothertongue teacher.
In order to strengthen their critical and communicative skills, students will engage in several group and individual activities. Each student must sign up to do a class presentation. This is a short presentation (5-10 minutes) at the beginning of each class on contemporary newspaper articles in Chinese. More details on the content and form of the presentation will be provided in class and through the portal ARIEL at the beginning of the course.
Seminars and conferences by distinguished guests from the Chinese cultural scene will be offered in order to strengthen the students' skills and knowledge. Participation in activities and events is considered an integral part of the course.
News and updates on events, educational activities and materials will be available on the ARIEL web portal.
Discussion on selected topics will be carried out in the drill sessions with a mothertongue teacher.
In order to strengthen their critical and communicative skills, students will engage in several group and individual activities. Each student must sign up to do a class presentation. This is a short presentation (5-10 minutes) at the beginning of each class on contemporary newspaper articles in Chinese. More details on the content and form of the presentation will be provided in class and through the portal ARIEL at the beginning of the course.
Seminars and conferences by distinguished guests from the Chinese cultural scene will be offered in order to strengthen the students' skills and knowledge. Participation in activities and events is considered an integral part of the course.
News and updates on events, educational activities and materials will be available on the ARIEL web portal.
Teaching Resources
Paolo De Troia et al., Il cinese dei giornali, Milano, Hoepli, 2013.
Other teaching materials will be available on the ARIEL web portal.
Teaching materials will be available on the ARIEL web portal.
Suggested dictionaries
Han-ying cidian, A Chinese-English Dictionary (terza edizione), Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press, Beijing, 2010
Casacchia G., Bai Y., Dizionario Cinese-italiano, Cafoscarina, Venezia, 2015
Xiandai Hanyu Cidian (monolingua, VII edizione), Shangwu Yinshuguan, Beijing, 2016
Zhao Xiuying, Il dizionario di Cinese (cinese-italiano, italiano-cinese), Zanichelli, Bologna, 2013
Other teaching materials will be available on the ARIEL web portal.
Teaching materials will be available on the ARIEL web portal.
Suggested dictionaries
Han-ying cidian, A Chinese-English Dictionary (terza edizione), Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press, Beijing, 2010
Casacchia G., Bai Y., Dizionario Cinese-italiano, Cafoscarina, Venezia, 2015
Xiandai Hanyu Cidian (monolingua, VII edizione), Shangwu Yinshuguan, Beijing, 2016
Zhao Xiuying, Il dizionario di Cinese (cinese-italiano, italiano-cinese), Zanichelli, Bologna, 2013
Assessment methods and Criteria
The exam consists of a written test and an oral test, both mandatory.
The final grade is given by 50% written test and 50% oral examination.
The written test for Italian and Chinese students who have obtained a BA in Italy includes:
- doing exercises, similar to those present in the adopted textbooks;
- doing exercises structured on the HSK4 exam model but focused on the contents of the adopted textbooks.
The oral discussion for Italian students and for Chinese students who have obtained a BA in Italy will be divided into two parts:
- during the first part, with the Chinese native speaker teacher, the candidate will be asked to hold a short conversation on selected topics, to explain specific words, to answer the teacher's questions;
- in the second part, with the Italian teacher, the candidate will be asked to analyze the syntactic structure of some passages from the textbooks and explain some grammatical characteristics of the text.
The written test for Chinese students who have not obtained a BA in Italy includes:
- translation from Chinese to Italian of a passage taken from the adopted textbooks;
- translation from Italian to Chinese of part of a new newspaper article.
The oral discussion for Chinese students who have not obtained a BA in Italy consists of an interview with the Italian teacher: the candidate will be asked to translate into Italian some passages from the textbooks, to answer questions in Italian on the contents of the text and to analyze the syntactic structure of some passages from the textbooks and explain some grammatical characteristics of the text.
The written test is the same for both attended and non-attending students and so is the oral one.
The final grade is given by 50% written test and 50% oral examination.
The written test for Italian and Chinese students who have obtained a BA in Italy includes:
- doing exercises, similar to those present in the adopted textbooks;
- doing exercises structured on the HSK4 exam model but focused on the contents of the adopted textbooks.
The oral discussion for Italian students and for Chinese students who have obtained a BA in Italy will be divided into two parts:
- during the first part, with the Chinese native speaker teacher, the candidate will be asked to hold a short conversation on selected topics, to explain specific words, to answer the teacher's questions;
- in the second part, with the Italian teacher, the candidate will be asked to analyze the syntactic structure of some passages from the textbooks and explain some grammatical characteristics of the text.
The written test for Chinese students who have not obtained a BA in Italy includes:
- translation from Chinese to Italian of a passage taken from the adopted textbooks;
- translation from Italian to Chinese of part of a new newspaper article.
The oral discussion for Chinese students who have not obtained a BA in Italy consists of an interview with the Italian teacher: the candidate will be asked to translate into Italian some passages from the textbooks, to answer questions in Italian on the contents of the text and to analyze the syntactic structure of some passages from the textbooks and explain some grammatical characteristics of the text.
The written test is the same for both attended and non-attending students and so is the oral one.
L-OR/21 - CHINESE AND SOUTH ASIAN LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES - University credits: 9
Lessons: 60 hours
Professors:
Licandro Daniela, Mottura Bettina Marta Rosa
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Professor(s)