95469 - Chinese Language and Linguistic Exercises 1 - A

Learning outcomes

The course aims to provide a basic knowledge of writing, the vowel, consonantal and tonal system of Chinese, as well as the main structures of the written and spoken language.

Course contents

HU Guiping is the mother tongue teacher responsible for ESERCITAZIONI DI LINGUA E LINGUISTICA CINESE 1 - A

This is a practical module lasting an entire academic year. The languages of instruction are Italian and Chinese. All study materials are in Italian/Chinese.
The course aims to provide a basic knowledge of writing, the vowel, consonantal and tonal system of Chinese, as well as the main structures of the written and spoken language.

Contents:
- the order of sentence constituents
- theme structures and commentary
- elements of nominal morphology
- quantification: numerals, classifiers and pseudo-classifiers
- personal pronouns, demonstratives and interrogative substitutes
- the plural/singular contrast
- the structural particle de and the nominal syntagma
- the indication of time
- verb types: copula, verbs of existence, activity and verbs of motion
- verbal determination; different forms of negation
- the final particles
- the affirmative, negative and interrogative sentence
- adjectival verbs
- the prepositional phrase
- the aspective le
- modal verbs of possibility, volition and necessity

Readings/Bibliography

Textbook:

Masini et al. Il cinese per gli italiani, Corso di base. Milano: Hoepli, 2010

Recommended dictionary:

Zhao Xiuying, Il dizionario di Cinese. Dizionario Cinese-Italiano, Italiano-Cinese, Zanichelli, Bologna, 2013.

Grammar texts:

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

Paternicò, Luisa M., Varriano, Valeria e Tian Huiting (2021). Grammatica della lingua cinese. UTET.

Romagnoli, Chiara (2012). Grammatica cinese: Le parole vuote del cinese moderno. Hoepli

Teaching methods

The teaching instructions of the course, as well as the teaching materials, are in Chinese and in Italian. 

Professor Hu will conduct the following activities in class:

phonetics exercises;

explanation of the vocabulary and morphological and syntactic rules of each unit;

sentence construction exercises;

practice in translating sentences from Italian to Chinese, based on the textbook's content;

interpretation and conversation exercises in Chinese;

checking of students' correct writing of characters in each unit;

creative writing and translation exercises into Chinese.

Assessment methods

The exam is based on the content of the Chinese language and linguistics instructor's lessons and exercises taught by native Chinese instructors. The assessment is based on two sets of tests: 1) Grammatical proficiency and written production test (30 points). 2) Oral Chinese language test (30 points)

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1) The grammatical proficiency and written production test (30 points) consists of two parts: (1A) Written test (20 points, passing threshold 11); (1B) Oral Chinese linguistics test (10 points, passing threshold 6)

(1A) The written test is designed to assess the student's ability to write independently and appropriately use the textbook's vocabulary, with particular attention to everyday topics.

The written exam is divided into two parts:

1A (intermediate) Intermediate Written Exam: The intermediate written exam, held during the winter session, is specifically designed to test knowledge of the characters and basic grammar used in the first 10 units of the textbook; it lasts 60 minutes. The content replicates the exercises proposed in each unit of the textbook, such as:

1. Word composition (组词) Es:（ ）欢

1. Filling the blanks (填空) with options. Es: 我（ ）中国人。a) 去, b） 在, c） 姓, d） 是

1. Filling the blanks (填空) without options. Es: 安娜是 ( )人。 她 ( ) 学习英国文学

1. Sentence construction (组句) Es: 学习 同学 中国 喜欢 和 去 她 不

1. Construction of interrogative sentences (提问) Es: 安娜是上海人。 安娜是………？

1-A-Final) Final Written Exam: The final written exam consists of a translation from Italian to Chinese and a composition, for which at least 150 characters must be used, using a set of assigned words (e.g., 也, 可能, 喜欢, 家, 张, 们, 给) and drawing from the textbook's vocabulary. The final written exam lasts 120 minutes.

Those who pass the midterm written exam may take the final written exam. Those who do not pass or take the midterm exam are required to take both the final written exam and the midterm written exam; for the two written exams taken in the same session, the total duration is 180 minutes.

N.B. The use of a dictionary is not permitted for any of the written exams.

The grade distribution for the written sections is as follows:

Midterm Written Exam: Total score: 5; Passing threshold: 3

Final written exam: Partial total score: 15; Passing threshold: 8

Final written exam: Total score: 20; Passing threshold: 11

The grade of the written exam remains valid for one calendar year. If the midterm exam grade has expired, the full written exam must be retaken. To decline the midterm exam grade, please notify Professor Hu by email in good time. To decline the final written grade, simply re-sit the following session; in these cases, the last grade obtained will be considered valid.

(B) The oral exam for the Chinese Linguistics course aims to assess knowledge of basic notions of Chinese linguistics and grammar. The exam includes a series of questions on the syllabus, which may include: linguistic policy/historical evolution/grammar; the theoretical grammar section will also require analysis of examples, provided by the student or the instructor. A grade may only be declined during the exam.

2) Oral Chinese Language Exam (30 points)

Only students who pass the written exam may take the oral exam. The exam aims to assess the student's ability to express themselves in Chinese on the topics covered in the textbook, with particular attention to everyday topics. Students may only withhold a grade during the exam. The use of a dictionary is not permitted.

EXAM FINAL GRADE:

(1) Language and Grammar Skills Tests GRAMMAR/WRITING: 10/30 Prof. Zanier + 20/30 Prof. Hu

(2) ORAL: 30/30 Prof. Hu

FINAL GRADE: Mathematical average of (1) and (2).

 

Teaching tools

PowerPoint presentations, digital glossaries and flashcard Quizlet.

Online dictionaries and apps:

Wenlin Software for Learning Chinese, 4.2.2 (Windows & Mac), www.wenlin.com ;

Pleco Software (per iPhone/iPad and Android), freely downloadable from www.pleco.com

https://www.purpleculture.net

https://www.archchinese.com/

Office hours

See the website of Valeria Zanier