30912 - Chinese Language (LM)

Learning outcomes

The students will be expected to have a good knowledge of discourse strategies and will be able to apply these skills to text-analysis and translation. Through practical exercises, their communicative competencies in all the abilities, active and passive, will reach a C2 level of the European Common Framework which will provide them with sufficient skills to effectively interpret socio-linguistic and cultural codes of people involved in a communicative rapport.

Course contents

The class combinates Chinese Language (LM) (30912) and Chinese Literature 1 (2nd cycle) (30050).

The class integrates the acquisition of language skills and the learning of the main methodological problems of translation practice, on the one hand, with the knowledge of the socio-cultural context of texts under survey, on the other, through the analysis and translation of excerpts from a wide range of textual typologies, including literature; newspapers; blogs and websites.

Thematically, the course will focus on Internet language and literature (网络语言 and 网络文学), two vastly significant realities in contemporary China, which perfectly allow for a deepening of the language and literary studies concerning today's Chinese context. The class will be structured along several topics, mainly concentrating on the formation and illustration of web-generated neologisms, the Internet-based literary expressions of new urban subjectivities, and themes such as rural migration, LGBT+ realities, socially controversial issues.

Readings/Bibliography

The Chinese texts to be translated and analyzed will be available on the course's page on the "Virtuale" platform.

Papers to be discussed and referenced to for the Chinese Literature term paper will be uploaded on the same page.

Recommended readings (not part of the exam):

[Please refer to the main page for additional readings in Italian]

 

• Duan, Guozhong. 2018. “Chinese Internet Literature. Digital Literary Genres and New Writing Subjects”, in Min Dong Gu (a cura di), Routledge Handbook of Modern Chinese Literature, pp. 669–681. London & New York: Routledge.
• Hockx, Michel. 2015. Internet Literature in China. New York: Columbia University Press.
• Pesaro, Nicoletta (ed). 2013. The Ways of Translation: Constraints and Liberties of Translating Chinese. Venezia: Libreria Editrice Cafoscarina.
  

Exam readings for Chinese Literature LM (30050):

[Please refer to the main page in Italian]

Teaching methods

Frontal lessons and tutorials, with active student participation.

Assessment methods

Oral exam. Here follows detailed instructions for the two classes.

The Chinese Language LM (30912) exam consists of two parts of 30/30 scores each. The final score is the mathematical average of the marks obtained in the two parts:

• Language (Prof. Picerni): Analysis and translation of 3 short extracts of the passages presented during the course; 10 points each. Active participation in classroom discussions will be accounted for.

• Exercises (Prof. Hu): Questions in Chinese on the content of the pieces presented during the course. Further information, as well as the exam texts, are available on the "Virtuale" platform: https://virtuale.unibo.it/course/view.php?id=33701

The Chinese Literature LM (30050) exam also consists of two parts of 30/30 scores each. The final score is the mathematical average of the marks obtained in the two parts:

• Language: Analysis and translation of 3 short extracts of the passages presented during the course; 10 points each. Regular feedbacks on uploaded essays, demonstrated by short, 1 or 2 page-papers for each part of the course (at least the 80%), will replace one of the extracts.

• Term paper: A paper focused on one of the readings from the list above, to be framed and discussed according to the socio-cultural context illustrated in class. Other readings (also in English translation) can be proposed by students. In any case, students must discuss their choices with the instructor in advance.

Teaching tools

PowerPoint presentation, multimedia resources and materials.

Office hours

See the website of Federico Picerni