31313 - Japanese Linguistics and Language 3

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course students acquire a good capacity for a comparative analysis of the main dynamics in intercultural communication and develop intermediate/advanced linguistic competences focused on real working environments. They are able to analyze complex texts and manage communication in specific and complex linguistic situations. They develop active and passive translation skills and they are proficient in all the other linguistic skills by positioning themselves between the levels B1 and B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference Level N3 of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) organized by the Japan Foundation.

Course contents

Students acquire the necessary language skills of the third year through a syllabus divided into three main steps: 1) grammar and Japanese-Italian translation with Prof. Lo Cigno, 2) conversation, reading and text comprehension with the Japanese lecturer, 3) kanji, conversation and reading with the Japanese tutor.Students will deal with the above mentioned contents through diversified teaching materials which will be calibrated on the actual level of their Japanese knowledge

Readings/Bibliography

Basic Textbooks

- Chūkyū o manabou (zenki) – Surīē Network, Tōkyō (2007);

- Manabou! Nihongo 2 - Shokyū 2 - Senmon Kyōiku Shuppan, Tōkyō (2008) (Unità 35-37).

- Kitaeyō Kanjiryoku - Jōkyū e tsunageru kisokanji - Kuroshio Shuppan, Tōkyō (2010)

Lecture notes

- Prof.Kōno lecture notes from Minna no Niohongo (2).

- Prof. Arakawa lecture notes (+ readings from Joukyuu e no tobira) .

(to be downloaded from virtuale) 

Dictionaries

- The Kodansha Kanji Learner's Dictionary - Jack Halpern - Kodansha, Tōkyō.

- Shogakukan Japanese-Italian and Italian-Japanese dictionaries – Shogakukan, Tōkyō.

- Bilingual Dictionary, Hoepli, Milan (2013).

Subsidiary manuals and textbooks

- Manuale di Sociolinguistica - Berruto G., Cerruti M., Utet, Torino (2019).

- Giapponese per il Business - Mariotti, M., Hoepli, Milano (2019).

- Grammatica giapponese –Mastrangelo M., Ozawa N., Saito M., Hoepli, Milano (2006).

- Grammatica d'uso della lingua giapponese –Oue J., Manieri A., Hoepli, Milano (2019).

- La didattica del giapponese attraverso la rete - Teoria e pratica glottodidattica degli audiovisivi - Vitucci F., Clueb, Bologna (2013).

- Ciak! Si sottotitola - Traduzione audiovisiva e didattica del giapponese - Vitucci F., Clueb, Bologna (2016).

Teaching methods

Seminar classes with the teacher and Japanese conversation and writing practice with the Japanese lecturer and tutor. Classes will be characterized by an intense interaction. An active participation is required in order to develop a linguistic self-consciousness through all the exercises presented in class by the teacher.

Assessment methods

Final exam: written and oral.

The test will be divided into the four following sections: grammar test (25 minutes); ideograms test (25 minutes), writing skills (90 minutes) reading comprehension, (70minutes). The final score will be the average of each part of the written exam. need to pass each and every part of the test in order to arrive at a final assessment.

THE WRITTEN EXAM REMAINS VALID FOR ONE YEAR.

STARTING FROM THE A.Y. 2021/22 FOR THE STUDENTS OF THE CURRENT YEAR WILL BE INTRODUCED AN ONLINE TEST FOR THE GRAMMAR MODULE (PROF. LO CIGNO) AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE FIRST SEMESTER .

The oral examination intends to determine: 1) the ability to read texts from the manuals without the support of hiragana, and 2) the ability to rework orally written contents (text, images), 3) the ability to manage free oral conversation by maintaining an adequate interaction, correct grammar and vocabulary through role play and presentation of themselves. Total time required: 20 minutes. A global knowledge of the topics will be evaluated as excellent, while an excessive dependence on texts and manuals without any interpretative support will be evaluated with a positive but low score. The proven and repeated difficulty in creating logical and descriptive connections between phenomena and contents will produce an insufficient evaluation.

Students who have passed N4 Level of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test or have attended a Japanese language course in Japan will be awarded with an evaluation bonus.

Examples of scores:

Maximum scores (30 - 30 cum laude) in case candidates have: 1) assimilated all the contents related to the grammar, 2) has achieved a full understanding of the ideograms, 3) been able to develop their own translation style balancing contextual elements of source language and target language, 4) successfully handled oral conversation.

Intermediate scores (24-29) in the case candidates have: 1) partially assimilated language contents, 2) have achieved a decent understanding of the module on the ideograms, 3) been able to develop their own translation style though showing slight difficulties, 4) discreetly managed oral contents.

Minimum scores (18-23) in the case candidate have: 1) sufficiently assimilated Japanese language contents, 2) achieved a sufficient albeit poor understanding of ideograms, 3) been able to develop their own translation style but showing adaptation difficulties, 4) have not demonstrated a sufficient ability in oral conversation.

Insufficient score (less than 18) in case candidates could not: 1) assimilate the contents related to Japanese grammar and syntax, 2) show a sufficient understanding of ideograms, 3) develop their own translation styles, 4) manage oral conversation in Japanese.

Teaching tools

Audiovisual materials and subsidiary material. Projector will be also utilized to display summaries, concepts, fragments of text, images and video excerpts.

Office hours

See the website of Stefano Lo Cigno