31070 - Japanese Language and Linguistics 1

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student will acquire basic knowledge of Japanese grammar and elementary linguistic competence in both written and oral Japanese. The student will be able to read, understand and produce non-complex written texts and manage everyday conversations. They develop active and passive elementary translation skills. Acquired skills are located at level A1 of Common European Framework of Reference, that is level N5 of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) organized by the Japan Foundation.

Course contents

The course is divided into four modules:

1) Prof. LO CIGNO (1ST SEMESTER): Basic grammar lessons and Japanese - Italian translations (units from 1 to 16 from the textbook Manabou! Nihongo – Shokyū 1);

2) Esercitazioni 1-A (first and second semester) Prof.ssa Arakawa: hiragana, katakana, gravar, convesration, roleplay, writing composition, IT-JP translation, listening;

3) Esercitazioni 1-B (first and second semester) Prof.ssa Kiyohara: kanji e vocabularyi;

4) Esercitazioni 1-C (first and second semester) Prof.ssa Kiyohara: iintroduction to Japanese writing and reading comprehension.

Readings/Bibliography

Compulsory Textbooks

- Manabou! Nihongo. Corso di giapponese per principianti. Livello 1 – (a cura di F. Comotti, A. Maurizi e F. Vitucci) Zanichelli, (2019).

- Kanji Look and Learn – The Japan Times, Tōkyō (2009): manuale and workbook.

(textbooks must be purchased in advance);

Compulsory Sources

- Dispensa tratta da Manabou! Nihongo (1) by Prof.ssa Arakawa.

- Dispensa tutorato by Prof.ssa Kiyohara

- Dispensa Hiragana e Katakana

- Dispensa Introduzione Kanji

(To be download from VIRTUALE)

Dictionaries

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

- Dizionario bilingue - Hoepli, Milano (2013).

- Dizionario Giapponese - Italiano e Italiano-Giapponese Shogakukan –Shogakukan, Tōkyō.

Suggested Sources

- Pronuncia e accento nella lingua giapponese - Pappalardo G., Toda T. Hoepli, Milano (2020).

- Grammatica giapponese –Mastrangelo M., Ozawa N., Saito M., Hoepli, Milano (2016 - II edizione).

- A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar - Makino S., Tsutsui M., Tokyo, The Japan Times, (1989).

Teaching methods

The course will include 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

The test will be divided into the four following sections: grammar test (20 minutes); ideograms test (25 minutes), writing skills (50 minutes) reading comprehension, (60 minutes). 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.

Japanese.

Teaching tools

Audio-visual 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