Teaching code

4S003701

Credits

9

Coordinator

Daniele Beltrame

Language

Italian

Scientific Disciplinary Sector (SSD)

L-OR/21 - CHINESE AND SOUTH ASIAN LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES

Moodle Seminars 0

The teaching is organized as follows:

Learning outcomes

The course aims at providing students with the basic elements of phonetics, writing and basic sentence structure. Introduction to written and spoken Chinese and acquisition of the language skills in Putonghua (Mandarin Chinese). By the end of the course students are able to interact in simple conversations about daily topics, to read and comprehend simple texts. Besides, students have acquired the basic structures of the simple sentence and the characters’ formative principles, their structure and classification.
Attendance is mandatory.

Program

Introduction to Mandarin Chinese phonetics, writing, and syntax. Sentence and predicate types, particles, adverbs, nouns and their modifiers, verbs and their modifiers, verbal complements. Exercises on basic communicative functions and elementary vocabulary. Development of communicative functions, widening of the vocabulary, improvement of listening and reading skills. Lectures that involve the active participation of students through exercises and linguistic analysis of texts. Applied language activities on writing, phonetics, and the development of oral proficiency are provided by mother-tongue teachers.

Course textbook:

Abbiati, Magda; Zhang Ruoying (2010). "Dialogare in cinese, vol I". Venezia: Cafoscarina

Additional teaching materials will be used and provided by the teacher during the lessons and uploaded on the e-learning page of the course.

Recommended books:

-Abbiati, Magda (2008). "Guida alla lingua cinese". Roma: Carocci.
-Abbiati, Magda (2011). "Grammatica di cinese moderno". Venezia: Cafoscarina.
-Abbiati, Magda; Chen Liansheng (2001). "Caratteri cinesi". Venezia: Cafoscarina.
-Teng Wen-hua (2011). "Yufa! A Practical Guide to Mandarin Chinese Grammar". London: Hodder.

Bibliography

Examination Methods

The final exam consists of a written test on grammar and writing, a listening test and a conversation in Chinese. Each part of the test has a ten-points worth. Students must obtain at least 6/10 in each part of the test in order to pass the exam. All the parts of the exam must be passed in the same date: whoever wants or needs to repeat the exam must repeat all of its parts (written test, listening and conversation).
The details about the test will be publish on the e-learning page.
HSK certificates will not be accepted as substitute for the exam, nor any of its part.
Since attendance is mandatory, students who don't reach 60% of the attendance will not be admitted to the exam. Between 60% and 75% of the attendace students must prepare an additional material for the exam (see syllabus in the previous page). To justify non-attendance certificates proving a real and well-graounded reason (health, study or HSK certificates from level 2 to level 6) will be considered. These certificates should be submitted to the teacher before the exam.
At the end of the first semester a mid-term examination will be held on the first half of the programme (lessons 1-8 of the manual). The students who pass the mid-term examination will prepare the second half of the programme for the final exam (lessons 9-17) and the final mark will be the average of the two exams. Those who don't pass the mid-term exam must prepare the whole programme (lessons 1-17 of the manual) for the final exam.
The score of the mid-term examination is valid for a year, until the second exam in february 2018. After the final exam, the students who had passed the mid-term examination can choose to repeat the second part of the exam (lessons 9-17) or the entire syllabus (lessons 1-17), losing the mark of the mid-term examination.