Japanese Ii and Mediation
A.Y. 2024/2025
Learning objectives
This course aims to increase and strengthen the knowledge of basic written and spoken Japanese. It is reserved for students who have already studied Japanese for no less than 120-140 hours and know hiragana/katakana syllabaries and at least 150 ideographic characters (kanji). Notably, the course aims to introduce:
- approximately 200 new ideographic characters (kanji), for a comprehensive knowledge of 350 characters (in terms of reading and writing);
- part of the fundamental vocabulary; particularly, students should be able to read all the words included in the first 35 Units of the textbook Minna no Nihongo I-II Honsatsu (2nd edition);
- grammar rules, expressions and constructions included in Units 20-35 of the textbook Minna no Nihongo I-II Honsatsu (2nd edition).
Communication skills for everyday life will result in the ability to read simple, non-specialised texts and to correctly write by hand the words studied.
Students will learn to analyse and translate non-specialised texts at an intermediate level with regard to grammar, and understand the overall communicative content. In terms of communication skills for everyday life, with regard to written and oral production, students will be able to: automatically and correctly use the newly acquired verb forms; choose and form the best morphosyntactic structures according to the different communicative situations; express complex thoughts in terms of verb tense and aspect. With regard to listening skills, students will be able to understand oral speech regardless of the speaker's speed and within the limits of the grammar learnt at a theoretical level.
- approximately 200 new ideographic characters (kanji), for a comprehensive knowledge of 350 characters (in terms of reading and writing);
- part of the fundamental vocabulary; particularly, students should be able to read all the words included in the first 35 Units of the textbook Minna no Nihongo I-II Honsatsu (2nd edition);
- grammar rules, expressions and constructions included in Units 20-35 of the textbook Minna no Nihongo I-II Honsatsu (2nd edition).
Communication skills for everyday life will result in the ability to read simple, non-specialised texts and to correctly write by hand the words studied.
Students will learn to analyse and translate non-specialised texts at an intermediate level with regard to grammar, and understand the overall communicative content. In terms of communication skills for everyday life, with regard to written and oral production, students will be able to: automatically and correctly use the newly acquired verb forms; choose and form the best morphosyntactic structures according to the different communicative situations; express complex thoughts in terms of verb tense and aspect. With regard to listening skills, students will be able to understand oral speech regardless of the speaker's speed and within the limits of the grammar learnt at a theoretical level.
Expected learning outcomes
Students will become familiar with the lexical and morphological elements of the main Japanese expressions at an intermediate level, as well as the general principles of their construction. They will also learn to use the most appropriate sentence structures in written and oral contexts, according to the different communicative situations. The proficiency level to be reached is between N5 and N4 of JLPT scale (Japanese Language Proficiency Test) and corresponds approximately to A2 level under the CEFR.
Lesson period: year
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course cannot be attended as a single course. Please check our list of single courses to find the ones available for enrolment.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
year
Course syllabus
The program corresponds to the grammar topics, lexicon and kanji contained in Units 19-35 of the textbook 'Minna no nihongo Honsatsu (2nd ed.) Volumes I and II'. In general, it consists in the following topics. Various types of temporal secondary clauses using conjunctions and verbal forms TO, TOKI, -TE -TARA and -TARI; the use of the sequential form -NAGARA; relative, conditional, hypothetic and concessive clauses and related verbal forms; coordinative particle SHI; the expression of result by means of -TEIRU and -TEARU; the verbal morphology expressing volition, command and potentiality; the argument structure of clauses expressing potentiality and involuntary perception; sentences ending in NODA; focus particles WA in contrasting clauses and SHIKA; the reading and writing of approximately 200 new ideographs (kanji) for a total kanji knowledge of about 370 characters; the reading and meaning of all the vocabulary contained in the first 35 textbook Units. During the module on 'Basic translation and written comprehension', students will learn how to analyze texts of medium-low complexity and how to render those structures in translation.
Prerequisites for admission
This course requires a minimum of 120-150 hours of previous Japanese education, the knowledge of hiragana, katakana and of least 150 ideographic characters (kanji). A knowledge of the basic notions of linguistics is also required. Moreover, students must be proficient in Italian in order to understand the content of lectures and exam instructions.
Teaching methods
The modules of the official course will be entirely taught in Italian, following a 'traditional' method: the lecturer will explain in Italian the grammar rules treated in the textbook units by means of notions of linguistics, and writing on the blackboard. No computer material will be projected. Writing classes, also held in Italian, will also use the blackboard. Homework assignment and periodical kanji tests play an important role in the writing/kanji part of the course. Language practice ('Esercitazioni') will be held in Japanese in an interactive way. The teacher will ask individual questions to students, and all students will be actively involved.
Teaching Resources
Textbooks and other teaching materials
Compulsory texts
(Main textbook, Units 20-25): Minna no nihongo. Shōkyū I. Dainihan. Honsatsu (2nd ed.). (Tokyo: 3A Network. ISBN 9784883196036).
(Main textbook, Units 26-35): Minna no nihongo. Shōkyū II honsatsu. Dainihan. Honsatsu (2nd ed.). (Tōkyō: 3A Network. ISBN 9784883196463).
(Kanji textbook): Minna no nihongo. Shōkyū I. Dainihan. Kanji eigoban. Elementary I. Second Edition. Kanji - English Edition. (Tokyo: 3A Network. ISBN 9784883196838).
(Kanji textbook): Minna no nihongo. Shōkyū II. Dainihan. Kanji eigoban. Minna no Nihongo. Elementary II. Second Edition. Kanji - English Edition. (Tokyo: 3A Network. 9784883197446).
Other material, build by each individual lecturer and teacher, if any, will be available from the Lumi bookstore or downloadable from the Ariel site of the course.
Recommended additional materials
(Grammar rules): Minna Minna no nihongo. Giapponese elementare I. Traduzione e note grammaticali - Italiano. (Tokyo: 3A Network. ISBN 9784883196357. Also available in English and many other languages, under different ISBN codes).
(Grammar rules): Minna Minna no nihongo. Giapponese elementare II. Traduzione e note grammaticali - Italiano. (Tokyo: Tokyo: 3A Network. ISBN 9784883196975. Also available in English and many other languages, under different ISBN codes).
(Grammar practice): Minna Minna no nihongo. Shōkyū I. Dainihan. Hyōjun mondaishū. Elementary I. Second Edition. Basic Workbook. (Tokyo: 3A Network. ISBN 9784883196067).
(Grammar practice): Minna no nihongo. Shōkyū II. Dainihan. Hyōjun mondaishū. Minna no Nihongo. Elementary II. Second Edition. Basic Workbook. (Tokyo: 3A Network. ISBN 9784883196630).
(Grammar practice): Minna no nihongo. Shōkyū I. Dainihan. Kaite oboeru bunkei renshuchō. Minna no Nihongo Elementary I Second Edition Sentence Pattern Workbook. (Tokyo: 3A Network. ISBN 9784883196074).
(Grammar practice): Minna no nihongo. Shōkyū II. Dainihan. Kaite oboeru bunkei renshuchō. Minna no Nihongo Elementary II Second Edition Sentence Pattern Workbook. (Tokyo: 3A Network. ISBN 9784883196708).
(Kanji practice): Minna no nihongo. Shōkyū I. Dainihan. Kanji renshūchō. Elementary I. Second Edition. Kanji Workbook. T(okyo: 3A Network. ISBN 9784883196029).
The following books are reference grammars or can be used as such. They do not make use of the notions, technical terms and linguistic approach followed in the course, but may nevertheless be helpful. They are not in alternative to each other; one can buy them all.
Kubota, Yoko. Grammatica di giapponese moderno. (Venezia: Cafoscarina, 1989. ISBN 9788885613263). This text follows the Japanese school grammar, and is quite 'scientific' from that point of view.
Mastrangelo, Matilde; Ozawa, Naoko; Saito, Mariko. Grammatica giapponese. Seconda Edizione. (Milano: Hoepli, 2016. ISBN 9788820367275). This thorough text explains Japanese with the use of several categories of Italian school grammar.
Oue, Junichi; Manieri, Antonio. Grammatica d'uso della lingua giapponese. Teoria ed esercizi. Livelli N5-N3 del Japanese Language Proficiency Test. (Milano: Hoepli, 2019. ISBN 9788820375546). This text is quite sophisticated from the point of view linguistics, but still uses several notions of Italian school grammar.
Compulsory texts
(Main textbook, Units 20-25): Minna no nihongo. Shōkyū I. Dainihan. Honsatsu (2nd ed.). (Tokyo: 3A Network. ISBN 9784883196036).
(Main textbook, Units 26-35): Minna no nihongo. Shōkyū II honsatsu. Dainihan. Honsatsu (2nd ed.). (Tōkyō: 3A Network. ISBN 9784883196463).
(Kanji textbook): Minna no nihongo. Shōkyū I. Dainihan. Kanji eigoban. Elementary I. Second Edition. Kanji - English Edition. (Tokyo: 3A Network. ISBN 9784883196838).
(Kanji textbook): Minna no nihongo. Shōkyū II. Dainihan. Kanji eigoban. Minna no Nihongo. Elementary II. Second Edition. Kanji - English Edition. (Tokyo: 3A Network. 9784883197446).
Other material, build by each individual lecturer and teacher, if any, will be available from the Lumi bookstore or downloadable from the Ariel site of the course.
Recommended additional materials
(Grammar rules): Minna Minna no nihongo. Giapponese elementare I. Traduzione e note grammaticali - Italiano. (Tokyo: 3A Network. ISBN 9784883196357. Also available in English and many other languages, under different ISBN codes).
(Grammar rules): Minna Minna no nihongo. Giapponese elementare II. Traduzione e note grammaticali - Italiano. (Tokyo: Tokyo: 3A Network. ISBN 9784883196975. Also available in English and many other languages, under different ISBN codes).
(Grammar practice): Minna Minna no nihongo. Shōkyū I. Dainihan. Hyōjun mondaishū. Elementary I. Second Edition. Basic Workbook. (Tokyo: 3A Network. ISBN 9784883196067).
(Grammar practice): Minna no nihongo. Shōkyū II. Dainihan. Hyōjun mondaishū. Minna no Nihongo. Elementary II. Second Edition. Basic Workbook. (Tokyo: 3A Network. ISBN 9784883196630).
(Grammar practice): Minna no nihongo. Shōkyū I. Dainihan. Kaite oboeru bunkei renshuchō. Minna no Nihongo Elementary I Second Edition Sentence Pattern Workbook. (Tokyo: 3A Network. ISBN 9784883196074).
(Grammar practice): Minna no nihongo. Shōkyū II. Dainihan. Kaite oboeru bunkei renshuchō. Minna no Nihongo Elementary II Second Edition Sentence Pattern Workbook. (Tokyo: 3A Network. ISBN 9784883196708).
(Kanji practice): Minna no nihongo. Shōkyū I. Dainihan. Kanji renshūchō. Elementary I. Second Edition. Kanji Workbook. T(okyo: 3A Network. ISBN 9784883196029).
The following books are reference grammars or can be used as such. They do not make use of the notions, technical terms and linguistic approach followed in the course, but may nevertheless be helpful. They are not in alternative to each other; one can buy them all.
Kubota, Yoko. Grammatica di giapponese moderno. (Venezia: Cafoscarina, 1989. ISBN 9788885613263). This text follows the Japanese school grammar, and is quite 'scientific' from that point of view.
Mastrangelo, Matilde; Ozawa, Naoko; Saito, Mariko. Grammatica giapponese. Seconda Edizione. (Milano: Hoepli, 2016. ISBN 9788820367275). This thorough text explains Japanese with the use of several categories of Italian school grammar.
Oue, Junichi; Manieri, Antonio. Grammatica d'uso della lingua giapponese. Teoria ed esercizi. Livelli N5-N3 del Japanese Language Proficiency Test. (Milano: Hoepli, 2019. ISBN 9788820375546). This text is quite sophisticated from the point of view linguistics, but still uses several notions of Italian school grammar.
Assessment methods and Criteria
The conclusive exam will only take place at the end of the two-semester official course. It tests the knowledge build during the three modules of the official course and the skills developed during language practice classes. It is not possible to take a partial exam at the end of each module. There are no interim tests either. The exam consists in a written and in an oral part (thereafter also 'written exam' and 'oral exam'). There is no requirement for sitting the written part of the exam.
In order to sit the oral part of the exam, however, a student needs to have passed the written exam, or, alternatively, the early optional test, with a minimum mark of 18/30 (see below on how this mark is obtained).
The written part of the exam is itself made of several separate sections, which aim to verify the knowledge of grammar and writing and the capability of actually applying such knowledge to the comprehension of a written text. The oral part of the exam consists in one section only and its aim is to verify a student's skill in using their knowledge in a face-to-face, direct interaction with a Japanese interlocutor, in both speaking and listening.
EARLY TEST (optional)
During the final week of the Second term, a final, optional test will be held. The test will be based on the whole program covered during the year (i.e., it will not be a "partial" test). To take the test and to pass it is not required in order to sit the written exam. However, those students who will pass the test by scoring a minimum of 18/30 in the whole test will be exempted from sitting the written exam.
Any student who has not yet passed the exam of Lingua giapponese 2 can take the early test, regardless of their enrollment year or of whether they have attended the relevant classes. However, registration is mandatory.
The test will be held online in the computer rooms of the Sesto Campus. It cannot be taken from home. It is made of the following sections:
(1) Conjugation. (15 questions, multiple choice).
(2) Kanji (20 questions, multiple choice).
(3) Grammar (30 questions, multiple choice).
(4) Short essay (minimum length required), to be written in a separate session.
The pass score and the exemption from sitting the written exam are valid for one academic year.
WRITTEN EXAM
Registration is mandatory.
The written part of the exam is made of several separate sections. Each will take place in a single sitting, one after the other. A certain, specified time is allotted to each section. At the end of the allotted time, the exam sheets will be collected (regardless to their completion) and the exam will proceed to the next test. The whole written exam will last approximately three hours.
IMPORTANT: In order to obtain the required mean average of 18/30 in the written exam as a whole, a minimum mark of 18/30 must be obtained in the each of the first three sections (the short essay is excluded). This means that failing in just one section will cause failure in the whole written exam. No rounding up. For example, a score of 17.75/18 will not be rounded up to 18/18 and will therefore be considered insufficient.
The written exam consists in the following sections.
· Conjugation. This section aims to ascertain students' knowledge of the verbal morphology. A list of verbs in dictionary form is provided, and students are asked to conjugate them in two given forms. In order to pass the section, students will have to write correctly at least 70% of the forms. The score of this section is NOT used in calculating the mean, final grade of the written exam. During the conjugation section the use of dictionaries is not allowed.
· Kanji (writing and reading). This section aims to ascertain students' lexical knowledge, as formed by vocabulary knowledge, character writing and character recognition and reading. Students will be asked to write the ideographic character (kanji) corresponding to several words written in hiragana, and to transcribe into kana whole sentences containing one or more kanji. The mark is awarded in thirties. The minimum mark required to pass the section is 18/30 with no rounding up. The mark thus obtained will be one of the values used to calculate the mean mark of the written exam. During the kanji section the use of dictionaries is not allowed.
· Grammar. This section aims to ascertain students' grammar knowledge (at a more advanced basic level), and their capability of recognizing the grammatical structures and idiomatic expressions treated during the course. Students will be asked to fill the blanks in a number of sentences, and to conjugate or complete a given verb to form correct sentences. The mark is awarded in thirties. The minimum mark required to pass the section is 18/30 with no rounding up. The mark thus obtained will be one of the values used to calculate the mean mark of the written exam. During the grammar section the use of dictionaries is not allowed.
· Short essay (tema or sakubun), minimum length required. The short essay aims to ascertain whether a student has learned, controls, and is consequently able to use appropriately and correctly the grammatical structures and lexicon treated during the official course and practice classes. The mark is awarded in thirties, on the basis of the richness of the grammar patterns and of the lexicon used, and on the basis of the length of the output text. Only paper dictionaries are allowed. The minimum mark required to pass the section is 18/30 with no rounding up. The mark thus obtained will be one of the values used to calculate the mean mark of the written exam.
· Grading the written exam
The marks of the above sections (with the exception of the Conjugation one) will be used equally to calculate the mean mark of the written exam. This mark is also awarded in thirties. It will be rounded to the closest entire number (for example: 23.49/30 is rounded down to 23/30, whereas 23.50/30 is rounded up to 24/30).
The mark of the written exam will be send to the students' @studenti.unimi.it email address.
It is considered valid for one year. This means that during that year there will be no need to re-take a passed written exam. The subsequent oral exam can be taken at any point during the year of validity.
ORAL EXAM
A separate, specific registration to the oral exam mandatory.
Only students who will have successfully passed the written exam obtaining a minimum of 18/30 in each written section or, alternatively, the early test with 21/30 (80%) will be able to sit the oral part of the exam and be awarded a final mark. The oral exam consists in one section only, whose aim is to verify a student's capability of understanding basic grammar and simple idioms in listening, and of using them correctly in speaking. The contents are the following.
· Dialoguing in Japanese with a teacher. Students will have to answer several questions concerning their daily life, their study activities, Japanese culture, and the contents of the textbook. Listening and speaking skills will both be evaluated.
The oral exam is also graded in thirties. A minimum mark of 18/30 is required to pass the exam.
· Final mark and mark recording
At the end of a passed oral exam, the final mark of 'Lingua giapponese II' will be awarded. It consists in the mean average of the two marks obtained in the written and oral exams. It is expressed in thirties. The score will be rounded to the closest entire number (for example: 23.49/30 is rounded down to 23/30, whereas 23.5/30 is rounded up to 24/30). The professor in charge of the course will calculate and digitally upload the mark. Students can reject this mark online, after receiving the email that notifies it.
Attendance
Full attendance of all classes (60-hour main course, practice classes) is highly recommended. Students who cannot attend will have to spend more hours studying at home. In this case, it is highly recommended that student use all the support material specified below, not only the main textbooks and compulsory material. In any case, students are discouraged to substitute the prescribed textbooks and supporting material with other material available in bookstores.
In order to sit the oral part of the exam, however, a student needs to have passed the written exam, or, alternatively, the early optional test, with a minimum mark of 18/30 (see below on how this mark is obtained).
The written part of the exam is itself made of several separate sections, which aim to verify the knowledge of grammar and writing and the capability of actually applying such knowledge to the comprehension of a written text. The oral part of the exam consists in one section only and its aim is to verify a student's skill in using their knowledge in a face-to-face, direct interaction with a Japanese interlocutor, in both speaking and listening.
EARLY TEST (optional)
During the final week of the Second term, a final, optional test will be held. The test will be based on the whole program covered during the year (i.e., it will not be a "partial" test). To take the test and to pass it is not required in order to sit the written exam. However, those students who will pass the test by scoring a minimum of 18/30 in the whole test will be exempted from sitting the written exam.
Any student who has not yet passed the exam of Lingua giapponese 2 can take the early test, regardless of their enrollment year or of whether they have attended the relevant classes. However, registration is mandatory.
The test will be held online in the computer rooms of the Sesto Campus. It cannot be taken from home. It is made of the following sections:
(1) Conjugation. (15 questions, multiple choice).
(2) Kanji (20 questions, multiple choice).
(3) Grammar (30 questions, multiple choice).
(4) Short essay (minimum length required), to be written in a separate session.
The pass score and the exemption from sitting the written exam are valid for one academic year.
WRITTEN EXAM
Registration is mandatory.
The written part of the exam is made of several separate sections. Each will take place in a single sitting, one after the other. A certain, specified time is allotted to each section. At the end of the allotted time, the exam sheets will be collected (regardless to their completion) and the exam will proceed to the next test. The whole written exam will last approximately three hours.
IMPORTANT: In order to obtain the required mean average of 18/30 in the written exam as a whole, a minimum mark of 18/30 must be obtained in the each of the first three sections (the short essay is excluded). This means that failing in just one section will cause failure in the whole written exam. No rounding up. For example, a score of 17.75/18 will not be rounded up to 18/18 and will therefore be considered insufficient.
The written exam consists in the following sections.
· Conjugation. This section aims to ascertain students' knowledge of the verbal morphology. A list of verbs in dictionary form is provided, and students are asked to conjugate them in two given forms. In order to pass the section, students will have to write correctly at least 70% of the forms. The score of this section is NOT used in calculating the mean, final grade of the written exam. During the conjugation section the use of dictionaries is not allowed.
· Kanji (writing and reading). This section aims to ascertain students' lexical knowledge, as formed by vocabulary knowledge, character writing and character recognition and reading. Students will be asked to write the ideographic character (kanji) corresponding to several words written in hiragana, and to transcribe into kana whole sentences containing one or more kanji. The mark is awarded in thirties. The minimum mark required to pass the section is 18/30 with no rounding up. The mark thus obtained will be one of the values used to calculate the mean mark of the written exam. During the kanji section the use of dictionaries is not allowed.
· Grammar. This section aims to ascertain students' grammar knowledge (at a more advanced basic level), and their capability of recognizing the grammatical structures and idiomatic expressions treated during the course. Students will be asked to fill the blanks in a number of sentences, and to conjugate or complete a given verb to form correct sentences. The mark is awarded in thirties. The minimum mark required to pass the section is 18/30 with no rounding up. The mark thus obtained will be one of the values used to calculate the mean mark of the written exam. During the grammar section the use of dictionaries is not allowed.
· Short essay (tema or sakubun), minimum length required. The short essay aims to ascertain whether a student has learned, controls, and is consequently able to use appropriately and correctly the grammatical structures and lexicon treated during the official course and practice classes. The mark is awarded in thirties, on the basis of the richness of the grammar patterns and of the lexicon used, and on the basis of the length of the output text. Only paper dictionaries are allowed. The minimum mark required to pass the section is 18/30 with no rounding up. The mark thus obtained will be one of the values used to calculate the mean mark of the written exam.
· Grading the written exam
The marks of the above sections (with the exception of the Conjugation one) will be used equally to calculate the mean mark of the written exam. This mark is also awarded in thirties. It will be rounded to the closest entire number (for example: 23.49/30 is rounded down to 23/30, whereas 23.50/30 is rounded up to 24/30).
The mark of the written exam will be send to the students' @studenti.unimi.it email address.
It is considered valid for one year. This means that during that year there will be no need to re-take a passed written exam. The subsequent oral exam can be taken at any point during the year of validity.
ORAL EXAM
A separate, specific registration to the oral exam mandatory.
Only students who will have successfully passed the written exam obtaining a minimum of 18/30 in each written section or, alternatively, the early test with 21/30 (80%) will be able to sit the oral part of the exam and be awarded a final mark. The oral exam consists in one section only, whose aim is to verify a student's capability of understanding basic grammar and simple idioms in listening, and of using them correctly in speaking. The contents are the following.
· Dialoguing in Japanese with a teacher. Students will have to answer several questions concerning their daily life, their study activities, Japanese culture, and the contents of the textbook. Listening and speaking skills will both be evaluated.
The oral exam is also graded in thirties. A minimum mark of 18/30 is required to pass the exam.
· Final mark and mark recording
At the end of a passed oral exam, the final mark of 'Lingua giapponese II' will be awarded. It consists in the mean average of the two marks obtained in the written and oral exams. It is expressed in thirties. The score will be rounded to the closest entire number (for example: 23.49/30 is rounded down to 23/30, whereas 23.5/30 is rounded up to 24/30). The professor in charge of the course will calculate and digitally upload the mark. Students can reject this mark online, after receiving the email that notifies it.
Attendance
Full attendance of all classes (60-hour main course, practice classes) is highly recommended. Students who cannot attend will have to spend more hours studying at home. In this case, it is highly recommended that student use all the support material specified below, not only the main textbooks and compulsory material. In any case, students are discouraged to substitute the prescribed textbooks and supporting material with other material available in bookstores.
L-OR/22 - JAPANESE AND KOREAN LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES - University credits: 9
Lessons: 60 hours
Professor:
Dalla Chiesa Simone
Professor(s)
Reception:
Office hours Feb 17th to April 10th: every Monday 1245-1445 and Friday (booking mandatory) 1130-1230. Suspended in case of graduation exams, vacations.
Sesto Campus, Room 5008. If online, use Teams or the link below.