C9064 - LINGUA CINESE I (LM)

Learning outcomes

The students have a solid understanding of the linguistic and discursive features of the Chinese language and are familiar with the main principles of teaching Chinese as a foreign language. Through practical exercises, their communicative skills in all areas – both active and passive – progress toward the advanced levels of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. This enables them to effectively interpret the sociolinguistic and cultural codes of the participants involved in multilingual interactions.

Course contents

The Chinese Language (LM) course consists of two modules:

C9064 – CHINESE LANGUAGE (LM)

95467 – CHINESE LANGUAGE PRACTICE (LM)

The activities of the Chinese Language (LM) course are designed to develop students’ skills in linguistic analysis and written production in Chinese, and are organised into three main strands.

The first part of the course will cover the characteristics of writing practical texts in a moderately formal register, with particular attention to text organisation, stylistic conventions and the main types of written communication (e.g. formal messages and emails).

The second part will be devoted to the production of descriptive texts, through an in-depth study of vocabulary, attributive structures, adjectives, comparative expressions and the main mechanisms for organising descriptions.

The third part will be devoted to the production of narrative texts, with particular attention to the chronological organisation of events, resultative and directional complements, connectives and the main syntactic structures of narrative.

Examples and working materials will be drawn mainly from the texts covered in the language exercises, supplemented, where necessary, with authentic examples and materials specifically selected or adapted for teaching purposes in line with the course’s linguistic objectives. Through guided exercises, rewrites and writing activities, students will progressively develop the ability to produce texts that are correct, coherent and appropriate to different communicative contexts.

Some sessions will also be devoted to aspects of language education, multilingualism and the teaching of Chinese as a foreign language, in line with the educational objectives of the degree programme.

 

Language Seminars

The aim of the seminars is to explore literary texts in depth and to analyse and rework them, utilising oral skills already acquired and developing new, more advanced ones.

The language seminars are an integral part of the Chinese Language (LM) course; they are intended for all first-year students. Attendance at these sessions is essential. The LM language seminars consist of weekly sessions during the second semester and are led by the native-speaking lecturer, Prof. HU Guiping; they focus on reading, comprehension and vocabulary acquisition. Students who are unable to attend regularly are advised to keep up to date via Virtuale and, if necessary, to contact the native-speaking lecturer to arrange a consultation.

 

Chinese LM Seminar Page

 

https://www.unibo.it/it/studiare/insegnamenti-competenze-trasversali-moocs/insegnamenti/insegnamento/2026/556664

Readings/Bibliography

Textbook adopted

An Intermediate and Advanced Chinese Writing Course for Foreigners, Peking University Press, Beijing, 2017. ISBN 978-7-301-28673-9.

Recommended dictionary:

Zhao Xiuying (2013). The Chinese Dictionary. Chinese–Italian, Italian–Chinese Dictionary. Zanichelli.

Grammar texts adopted:

Romagnoli, Chiara (2012). Chinese Grammar: The Function Words of Modern Chinese. Hoepli

Paternicò, Luisa M., Varriano, Valeria and Tian Huiting (2021). Grammar of the Chinese Language. UTET.

N.B. For all modules:

Materials discussed during lectures and published on the course’s online platform form an integral part of the reading list. The relevant pages in the adopted texts will be indicated on the online platform at the start of the course. The adopted texts are required for passing the final examination, even for students who are unable to attend lectures. Lecturers are available to provide further explanations of the syllabus during their office hours.

Teaching methods

Lectures and practical sessions, analysis of texts to be read and of texts written by students at home, and writing exercises.

Assessment methods

The examination consists of two parts, a written part and an oral part, both marked out of 30. The written part accounts for 70% of the final mark, whilst the oral part accounts for 30%.

1. Written examination (Chinese Language LM component)

The written part is designed to assess the development of the linguistic analysis and written production skills acquired during the course.

During the semester, there will be an optional mid-term written test covering the topics addressed in the first part of the course. The test consists of producing a short descriptive text in Chinese, designed to assess the acquisition of the main grammatical, lexical and textual structures studied. The mark for the mid-term test accounts for 25 per cent of the written part’s mark.

The final written examination consists of producing a narrative text in Chinese, designed to assess the student’s ability to organise and develop a coherent and cohesive text, using the linguistic structures covered throughout the course. The mark for the final examination accounts for the remaining 75% of the written component’s mark.

Students who do not sit the in-course assessment, or who wish to improve their mark, may retake it as part of the written examination session, by sitting a full examination comprising both the descriptive and narrative sections.

The assessment will take into account grammatical accuracy, the appropriateness and richness of vocabulary, the use of the linguistic structures covered during the course, the coherence and cohesion of the text, as well as the overall effectiveness of the written work.

The final mark for the mid-term written exam and the mark for the final written exam are valid for three examination sessions. Should the mark for the mid-term written examination have expired, it will be necessary to sit the full written examination. To reject the mark for the mid-term written examination, you must notify Prof. Pellin by email in good time. To reject the final mark for the written examination, you simply need to sit the examination again in the next session; in such cases, the most recent mark achieved will stand.

2. Oral examination (practical sessions)

The assessment focuses on the ability to read, understand and comment on texts covered during the practical sessions in Chinese. The assessment will evaluate the accuracy of reading, comprehension of the content, and the ability to summarise and present the material orally.

Teaching tools

Pleco Software (for iPhone/iPad and Android), available to download free of charge from www.pleco.com (however, we recommend purchasing at least one bundle);

Monolingual dictionaries available on gongjushu.cnki.net via Almastart (the list of dictionaries available free of charge will be posted on Virtuale).

Students with SLDs or temporary or permanent disabilities: we suggest that you contact the relevant university office ( https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en ) and your teacher immediately to work together to find the most effective strategies for attending classes and/or preparing for exams.
Any requests for exam accommodations must be made at least 15 days before the date of the exam, by sending an email to the teacher and copying (Cc) the email address disabilita@unibo.it (in case of disability) or dsa@unibo.it (for students with Specific Learning Difficulties).

Office hours

See the website of Tommaso Pellin