31206 - Chinese Language and Linguistics 2

Academic Year 2021/2022

  • Docente: Carlotta Sparvoli
  • Foreign language assistant Yanlian Zhang
  • Credits: 9
  • SSD: L-OR/21
  • Language: Italian

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of this module, students should be competent in all communication skills in Chinese at the intermediate level, based on the parameters set by the competent authorities. They will also have gained an analytical understanding of the different properties and structures of the Chinese language as described in the current linguistic literature.

Course contents

The course includes three modules:

  • Chinese Linguistics: 31206 - LINGUA E LINGUISTICA CINESE 2
  • Chinese language instruction: 95471 - ESERCITAZIONE DI LINGUA E LINGUISTICA CINESE 2 - A
  • Practice with mother tongue tutors: 95472 - ESERCITAZIONE DI LINGUA E LINGUISTICA CINESE 2 - B

 

The course aims at developing the students' linguistic competence of Mandarin Chinese at an intermediate/advanced level. In particular, it aims at developing the students' linguistic competence, strengthening their knowledge of the main structures of Mandarin Chinese in theory and in practice. Contents include:

  • nominal and verbal determination
  • topicalization
  • complex verbal structures
  • verb complements
  • aspectual particles
  • modal particles
  • potential forms
  • structure with ba 把 and bei 被 and
  • other special structures

The contents will be presented through the lens of essential topic such as:

  • referentiality and quantification;
  • information structure and discourse functions;
  • canonical and marked word ordering;
  • argument grid and verbal classes;
  • encoding of motion events;
  • time, aspect and actionality;
  • modality and factuality.

Readings/Bibliography

Concerning the linguistic part, all the contents will be presented in PowerPoing files, available in the relevant IOL page.

The following reference material is suggested:

Abbiati, Magda (2005). Compendio di grammatica cinese moderna. Venezia: Cafoscarina.

Arcodia, Giorgio Francesco e Basciano, Bianca (2016). Linguistica cinese. Bologna: Pàtron. (Selected chapters)

Textbook used for the tutorials:

Masini. F. et al., 2010, Il cinese per gli italiani. Corso intermedio, vol. II. Milano: Hoepli.

Teaching methods

  1. Lectures
  2. Tutorials with native Chinese language experts

Assessment methods

The exam is based on the contents presented during the language tutorials and during the classes on Chinese linguistics.

Assessment method

The exam is divided into two parts:

1) Tests of grammatical competence and written production (30 points):

A) Chinese written production (20 scores, passing threshold 12 points): Written test on the topics of the first semester by Chinese native experts. It includes two parts, the first focused on the contents of the first semester (Partial 1) and the second focusing on the contents of the second semester (Partial 2). Those two partial exams can be taken in separate sessions. Partial 1 is accessible starting from the January-February exam. The grades of the partial tests are valid for one calendar year (4 sessions).

B) Linguistics part (10 points, passing threshold 6 points): Oral exam on the grammatical and translation skills acquired during the course on Chinese linguistics. It consists of the linguistic analysis and translation (from and into Chinese) of the sentences and portions of text translated and analyzed during the course. The repertoire of texts useful for passing the exam will be available in the folder:

https://virtuale.unibo.it/course/view.php?id=16443#section-17

The prerequisite for access to the oral competence test is to have obtained 18 points (adding linguistics and written test, A + B).

2) Oral production proficiency test (30 points): A reading and conversation test with mother tongue teachers, based on units 9 to 16 (included) of the adopted book, intermediate course.

The final grade consists of the average between the scores obtained in the grammar and written production tests (A + B) and the score obtained in the oral production test.

Teaching tools

PowerPoint Presentations, videos, online glossaries

Office hours

See the website of Carlotta Sparvoli