75700 - Chinese Language and Literature 2A (LM)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student will acquire a first set of intermediate level skills in the Chinese language; he/she will be able to deepen the related literature and related issues, referring to the most updated bibliography.

Course contents

The course builds on the Chinese 1 program from the 2024–2025 academic year.

The first lesson will be devoted to a general review of the Chinese 1 course.

Subsequently, we will continue with selected parts of the textbook.

In general, the program focuses on morphosyntactic and functional aspects such as:

1. Temporality (calendar, time, frequency, duration)

2. Expression of ongoing actions and simultaneous actions (with the particle 着)

3. Locatives and expressions of direction

4. The past with guo 过 and le 了

5. The modal le 了 and the aspectual le 了

6. The 是...的 sentence structure

When introducing new characters, particular attention will be paid to identifying radicals and the formation principles of frequently used characters, with dictionary-based research.

Supplementary readings will include narrative or descriptive texts of a historical and anthropological nature, aimed at identifying key terms and expressions useful for an introduction to specialized language in the fields of history and anthropology.

Readings/Bibliography

A student who attends at least 75% of the course classes is considered an attending student.

Attending students

- Masini et al. (2021). Comunicare in cinese (Liv. 1).Milano, Hoepli. (parti affrontate in classe)

- Lavagnino, Pozzi (2013). Cultura cinese, Carocci, Roma

Non-attending students:

In addition to the program for attending students, non-attending students are required to study:

- Arcodia, Basciano. La lingua cinese, Carocci, 2024 (integrale)

 

Foreign students may contact the lecturer for an alternative reading list in English.

All the books above can be found in the library of the Dept. of History and Civilization, Via Zamboni, 33.

Teaching methods

The course will adopt a communicative approach, integrating written and spoken skills (passive and active). The aim is to introduce students to global reading and partial translation of academic texts in the fields of history and anthropology.

Students are expected to follow the learning path outlined in class and to keep up with the assigned homework.

Students will also have the opportunity to reinforce their knowledge through tandem activities, either in person or online, with Chinese students.

Regular attendance and active participation are warmly required.

Assessment methods

There are six written and oral exams throughout the year. The first exam will take place at the end of May. Students are encouraged to register in advance and to withdraw if they no longer intend to take the exam during that session.

For all students:

At the end of the course, students will take a two-hour written exam covering the full two-year program. The exam will include:

• a grammar and vocabulary section (in characters);

• a reading comprehension and translation of texts studied in class (in characters);

• a reading comprehension of an unfamiliar text, with the aid of a glossary provided by the instructor (in characters).

Students who pass the written exam will be admitted to the oral exam, which will include:

• a discussion of the written exam, with a focus on grammar and text analysis;

• three questions on the theoretical text.

 

For MA students and non-attending students:

An additional text is required (see bibliography).

During the oral exam, they will present a topic of their choice from Cultura cinese, demonstrating that they have independently conducted bibliographic research and worked with texts by various authors.

The oral exam will last approximately 20 minutes.

A student is considered "attending" if they participate in at least 75% of the classes.

Foreign students may contact the lecturer for an alternative reading list in English.

Learning assessment. Linguistic competence achieved in reading, translation, and grammatical analysis will be assessed. With reference to theoretical knowledge acquired from individual study, the following will be assessed

- The mastery of content
- The ability to synthesize and analyze themes and concepts
- The ability to express oneself adequately and in language appropriate to the subject matter

Students who show a coherent and complete competence in the topics addressed in class, and are able to use them critically, with maturity of expression and the accurate language register, will be assessed with marks of excellence (27-30)

A mnemonic knowledge of the subject, together with synthesis and analysis skills articulated in a correct but not always appropriate language, will lead to fair marks (22-26).

Formative deficiencies and/or inappropriate language – albeit in the context of minimal knowledge of the examination material – will lead to passing grades (18-21).

Formative deficiencies, inappropriate language, lack of orientation in the bibliographical materials offered during the course will be assessed negatively.

Teaching tools

Textbooks (with the MP3 audio tracks).

Additional resources, including apps, websites, dictionaries audiovisual resources, will be made available on the e-learning platform Virtuale.

Students with learning disorders and/or temporary or permanent disabilities: please, contact the office responsible (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students ) as soon as possible so that they can propose acceptable adjustments. The request for adaptation must be submitted in advance (15 days before the exam date) to the lecturer, who will assess the appropriateness of the adjustments, taking into account the teaching objectives.

Office hours

See the website of Sabrina Ardizzoni