31070 - Japanese Language and Linguistics 1

Academic Year 2021/2022

  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
  • Campus: Bologna
  • Corso: First cycle degree programme (L) in Languages, Markets and Cultures of Asia and Mediterranean Africa (cod. 9264)

    Also valid for First cycle degree programme (L) in International Development and Cooperation (cod. 8890)

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

2) Prof. KONO (1ST AND 2ND SEMESTER): hiragana, katakana, grammar exercises, conversation, roleplay, sakubun, italian-japanese translation, listening ad kakitori;

3) Prof. ARAKAWA (1ST AND 2ND SEMESTER): kanji and vocabulary;

4) Prof. LO CIGNO (1ST AND 2ND SEMESTER): introduction to Japanese writing and text reading.

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 e workbook.

(textbooks must be purchased in advance);

Compulsory Sources

- Dispensa tratta da Manabou! Nihongo (1) della Prof.ssa Kōno.

- Dispensa tutorato della Prof.ssa Arakawa

- Dispensa Hiragana e Katakana

- Dispensa Introduzione Kanji

(please turn to: ECRIRE Via Cartoleria, 18/A – Tel. 051238424)

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

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

- - Makino Seichi, Michio Tsutsui, A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar, Tokyo, The Japan Times, 1989


Teaching methods

Due to the Covid-19 emergency, and following the decision taken by the Department of Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures, the lessons will be: 

Live on-site and online. Students who wish to attend live on-site will have to confirm this in due time, following the instructions they will receive from the University. They will then be required to alternate on-site and online shifts (on Microsoft Teams), based on the room capacity, in order to ensure the necessary form of social distancing.

Further details will be given during the first week of class.

Compatibly with this, the course will include

Assessment methods

Final exam: written and oral. 


The ONLINE written test will be divided into the four following sections:
grammar test (30 minutes);
ideograms test (15 minutes);
writing skills (actually, translation selection 25 minutes)
reading comprehension, (20 minutes).

Total 90 minutes.

 

THE REINTRODUCTION OF THE WRITTEN EXAM (IN PRESENCE) WILL DEPEND ON COVID RESTRICTIONS LOOSINGS. STUDENTS ARE URGED TO KEEP TRACK OF THE TEACHING PROGRAM DURING THE ACADEMIC 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. VITUCCI) AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE FIRST SEMESTER .

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.

The ONLINE 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.


THE WRITTEN EXAM REMAINS VALID FOR 4 SESSIONS.

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

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 Francesco Vitucci