31068 - Chinese Language and Linguistics 1

Learning outcomes

The student is competent in all communicative skills in Chinese at the elementary level of the parameters set by the relevant authorities. He/she has a basic knowledge of Chinese linguistics.

Course contents

At the end of the course, the student will have a basic knowledge of Chinese language and linguistics. He/she will have acquired competency in all communicative skills in Chinese at the elementary level by reaching levels A1 and A2 of the European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and the corresponding levels of the Chinese HSK (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) certification. The student will also be able to use dictionaries, specific apps and online resources to practise the Chinese language independently and to obtain lexical, phonological and syntactic information.

The course consists of three modules:

31068 - LINGUA E LINGUISTICA CINESE 1

95469 - ESERCITAZIONE DI LINGUA E LINGUISTICA CINESE 1 A

95470 - ESERCITAZIONE DI LINGUA E LINGUISTICA CINESE 1 B

The course of Lingua e linguistica aims at illustrating from a theoretical point of view some notions of basic grammar and syntax (including: sentence structure, word order, the relationship between determinant and determinate; the plural/singular contrast; the structural particle de and the nominal syntagma; quantification; verb types; the affirmative, negative and interrogative sentence; the particle le; locators).

In addition, a historical background of the evolution of the Chinese language will be provided, the fundamentals of Chinese linguistics will be illustrated and some problems of learning Chinese as L2 will be examined.

Readings/Bibliography

Text for exercises:

Masini. F. et al. (2010). Il cinese per gli italiani. Corso base, vol. I. Hoepli.

Recommended dictionary:

Zhao Xiuying (2013). Il dizionario di Cinese. Dizionario Cinese-Italiano, Italiano-Cinese. Zanichelli.

Adopted texts for grammar:

Romagnoli, Chiara (2012). Grammatica cinese: Le parole vuote del cinese moderno. Hoepli

Paternicò, Luisa M., Varriano, Valeria e Tian Huiting (2021). Grammatica della lingua cinese. UTET.

Arcodia, Giorgio Francesco e Basciano, Bianca (2016). Linguistica cinese. Pàtron.

For each module:

The teaching materials discussed at lessons and uploaded in Virtuale are part of the course.

Teaching methods

Lectures based on texts proposed by the teacher analyzed in class; illustration of structures through the use of various grammar texts employed by the teacher.

Assessment methods

The exam is based on the content of the lectures given by the professor in Chinese language and linguistics and of the lessons of the language experts.

1) Test of grammatical competence and written production (30 marks). It consists of two parts:

(A) Written literacy test (20 points, threshold 12)

(B) Oral examination in Chinese linguistics (10 points, threshold 6)

(A) The written test I is aimed at assessing the ability to write independently and to use the vocabulary of the textbook appropriately, with particular attention to everyday life topics.

The test consists of a composition in Chinese and a translation from Italian to Chinese.

N.B. In the composition, candidates will have to write a short text of at least 150 characters using an assigned set of words  and drawing on the vocabulary of the textbook.

The paper lasts a total of 180 minutes. The use of a dictionary is not permitted.

The grade for the written test is valid for one calendar year. In order to reject the mark, it is sufficient to reappear at the next session; in such cases, the last mark obtained counts.

(B) The oral exam of Chinese linguistics course aims to test knowledge of the basics of Chinese linguistics and grammar. The test involves a series of questions on the syllabus, which may include: typology/genealogy/historical/grammatical evolution; reading and analysing short sentences in Chinese. Rejection of the grade is only possible during the examination.  

2) Oral test (30 points)

The test aims to assess the ability to express in Chinese on the topics of the textbook, with particular emphasis on everyday life topics. Rejection of the mark is only possible during the examination. Use of the dictionary is not permitted

Final grade

(1) Linguistic grammatical competence tests GRAMMATICS/SCRITIC: 10/30 Prof. Pellin + 20/30 Prof. Hu

(2) ORAL: 30/30 Prof. Hu

FINAL average grade of (1) and (2).

Teaching tools

Wenlin Software for Learning Chinese, latest version (for Windows e Mac), available at www.wenlin.com ;
Pleco Software (per iPhone/iPad e Android), downloadable for free at www.pleco.com

Office hours

See the website of Tommaso Pellin