31068 - Chinese Language and Linguistics 1

Course contents

Course contents

The course aims at helping the students to acquire the skills needed for analyzing, understanding and using the Chinese language at level A2 of the Common European Framework for Languages.  The course also presents the main morphological features of Chinese and highlights the main typological differences between Italian and Chinese.

Programme of Chinese Linguistics

§  Main typological features of Chinese (as compared with Italian)

§  Chinese morphology

Programme of Chinese language

The lectures held by the teacher of the course, will focus on the following:

§  The Chinese grammar (part 1)

§  Use of the bilingual dictionary

§  Reading, translation into Italian and analysis of the grammar of simple readings with growing degrees of difficulty

 

One central component of the Course on Chinese Linguistics and Language are the classes held by native Chinese language experts. They take place three times per week throughout the academic year. The classes are based on the text Il cinese per gli italiani. 

The classes held by the Chinese language experts will focus on the following:

(a)   Phonetics

(b)  Characters writing

(c)   Exercizes focusing on the Chinese grammar

(d)  Ability to write simple essays with a limited number of characters

(e)   Ability to translate simple sentences from Italian into Chinese

Given the peculiarities of Chinese as a logographic language, one focus will be on the acquisition of written skills, with analysis and discussion of essays in Chinese produced by students.

 

Readings/Bibliography

• Antonella Ceccagno, 2010,  Il cinese. Tipologia e morfologia. Elementi di grammatica e esercizi, Serendipità
• Antonella Ceccagno, 2010, Tradurre dal cinese all'italiano, Serendipità
  
• Antonella Ceccagno and Zhai Ran, 2011,  Jijiji wawawa. Classici dell'animazione cinese, Serendipità.
  
• Dizionario italiano-cinese e cinese-italiano: the student can choose one of the following dictionaries: GARZANTI, 2012, a cura di Rosa Lombardi oppure   HOEPLI, 2009, a cura di Zhang Shihua.
  
• AAVV, 2001 e successivi, Hanying cidian, A Chinese-English Dictionary, revised edition, Waiyu jiaoxue yu yanjiu chubanshe
• Masini et al., 2010, Il cinese per gli italiani. Corso base, vol I, Hoepli.

• Also recommended: Antonella Ceccagno & Bianca Basciano, 2009, Shuobuchulai. La formazione di parole in cinese, Serendipità.
  
• Also recommended: Magda Abbiati, 1996, Grammatica di cinese moderno, Cafoscarina.

Books by Antonella Ceccagno; Antonella Ceccagno and Zhai Ran; Antonella Ceccagno and Bianca Basciano can be bought at the bookshop  UBIK IRNERIO via Irnerio 27, Bologna

Teaching methods

Classroom teaching

Textbook, films and authentic materials

 Additional conversation and reading with Chinese teachers

Assessment methods

The exam is based on the content of the classes held by the teacher of the course and native Chinese language experts. It consists of two components: 1) a mid-term intermediate writtentest; 2) the final esam at the end of the course.

The final exam consists of two parts: a written test for which the time allotted is 4 hours and a subsequent oral examination. Those who have passed the mid-term written test will only be required to complete the second part of the written test.

The written exam tests the students' capacity to analyze, understand and use the Chinese language at level A2 of the Common European Framework for Languages. This exam component is divided into specific sections on (a) ability to understand and write characters for daily use (b) phonetic abilities and correct use of grammar (c) translation of simple sentences from Italian into Chinese and composition of about 100 characters (d) translation from Chinese into Italian of simple sentences based on the contents of the lectures held by the teacher of the course.

Only after passing the written language exam can students take the oral. Students who pass the written exam components with a score of at least 18/30 may not reject their mark and take the exam again. At present, marks obtained in written exams remain valid for two academic years.

The oral examination is divided into two specific sections on (a) test of students' listening and speaking skills, and their capacity to communicate spontaneously, understand and make themselves understood at a basic level in Chinese, with a good command of grammar and a fairly wide vocabulary, on non specialized topics. This component of the exam lasts 5-10 minutes (b) reading, translation into Italian and ability to discuss the grammar of the readings discussed during the lectures held by the teacher of the course. This component of the exam lasts 5 to 15 minutes.

Students who pass the oral exam components with a score of at least 18/30 may not reject their mark and take the exam again.

The final mark is the mean of the scores obtained in written and oral exams.

 

Teaching tools

multimedial tools * powerpoint presentations * video clips, movies etc * books

Office hours

See the website of Antonella Ceccagno