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Languages and Literature of Japan and Korea
UNIVERSITÀ DEGLI STUDI DI NAPOLI "L'ORIENTALE"
Overview
Date/time interval
Syllabus
Course Objectives
OBJECTIVES AND EXPECTED LEARNING OUTCOMES
The course includes the mastery of advanced grammar, approximately 2,000 kanji, and a vocabulary of about 10,000 words. Students will be able to engage in daily conversation across various contexts, to use certain types of specialized language in both written and spoken production, to read newspaper articles, essays, and literary texts, and to consult dictionaries and bibliographic materials in Japanese. The expected language proficiency corresponds to levels N2–N1 of the JLPT / B2–C1 of the CEFR.
APPLIED KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
Students will broaden their knowledge of Japan, the Japanese people, and their language, and deepen their cultural and linguistic understanding. They will acquire the skills and strategies necessary to carry out fluid conversations with native speakers on a variety of topics, formulating judgments and expressing personal opinions by supporting their arguments. By the end of the course, students will be able to express themselves accurately at an intermediate/advanced level, both in writing and speaking, clearly distinguishing between different language registers.
ADDITIONAL EXPECTED LEARNING OUTCOMES
Autonomy of Judgment
Students will be equipped with the linguistic, critical, and cultural tools necessary to manage situations in both formal and informal contexts, to actively participate in conversations and debates, and to navigate texts in Japanese such as essays, newspapers, and literary writings.
Communication Skills
Students are expected to have developed an integrated command of the four language skills (reading, listening, writing, and speaking), in addition to understanding the main morphosyntactic and lexical features of the Japanese level studied (JLPT N2 / CEFR B2–C1). In particular, they will be exposed to written and oral communicative situations where they will need to express and justify their ideas and viewpoints.
Learning Skills
Students will develop the skills needed to continue studying and deepening their knowledge of the Japanese language independently and with a critical approach.
Course Prerequisites
In order to successfully follow the course, students are required to have knowledge of the grammatical structures and vocabulary acquired during the three years of the first-level program and in the course “Japanese Language 1M.”
To be eligible to take the exam, students must have passed the “Japanese Language 1M” exam.
Teaching Methods
The course is based on a combination of interactive lectures and practical language exercises, designed to provide students with a solid grammatical and lexical foundation, as well as applied language skills.
Interactive Lectures
During the lectures with the instructor, students will engage in activities aimed at reinforcing grammatical rules and expanding vocabulary. Activities will include completing exercises both in class and at home, reading and providing linguistic commentary on texts of increasing difficulty, and direct interaction with the instructor to clarify doubts and explore topics in greater depth. The interactive approach encourages active participation and open dialogue.
Practical Exercises with Native Language Assistants
The language practice sessions are dedicated to developing the four core language skills:
- Reading: Analysis and comprehension of various types of texts to improve the ability to decode information and interpret content.
- Speaking: Dialogue simulations based on everyday and specific situations, with a focus on pronunciation, intonation, and appropriate vocabulary usage.
- Listening: Listening comprehension exercises using authentic or semi-authentic materials (audio, video, dialogues), aimed at training students to grasp both essential and detailed information.
- Writing: Composition of targeted texts (diaries, letters, short essays) to apply learned grammatical structures and vocabulary.
Complementary and Essential Nature of Course Activities
All course activities—both lectures and language practice sessions—are designed to complement and reinforce each other. Consistent and active participation in both components is considered essential for achieving the course’s learning objectives. The integration of theory and practice ensures a balanced and comprehensive acquisition of the Japanese language.
Assessment Methods
The exam consists of both a written and an oral component.
The written exam includes: multiple-choice and open-ended grammar questions; reading and comprehension of written texts (without the use of a dictionary); kanji reading and writing; and written production in Japanese. The use of a dictionary is not permitted during the written exam.
Students who pass the written exam will proceed to the oral examination, which is based on the material covered during lectures and practice sessions. The oral exam includes: a conversation in Japanese, reading of textbook passages, and comprehension questions. A short dictation is also included.
ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
In addition to evaluating the student’s knowledge of the content outlined in the course objectives, particular attention will be given to the following criteria:
- Ability to organize knowledge in a coherent and structured manner
- Rigor and originality in argumentation
- Critical reasoning skills based on the studied material
- Depth of analysis
- Clarity and quality of expression
- Proficiency in using specialized vocabulary
Language of the exam: Japanese
Texts
Main textbook
- Oka Mayumi, Tsutsui Michio, Kondo Junko et al. (a cura di), Jōkyū e no tobira – TOBIRA: Gateway to Advanced Japanese Learning through Content and Multimedia (Tokyo: Kuroshio, 2009), unità 10-15. 9784874244470
Workbooks
- Tsutsui Michio, Emori Shoko et al. (a cura di), Kore de mi ni tsuku bunpōryoku – TOBIRA: Grammar Power, Exercises for Mastery (Tokyo: Kuroshio, 2012). 9784874245705
- Oka Mayumi, Ishikawa Satoru et al. (a cura di), Kitaeyo kanjiryoku – TOBIRA: Power Up your Kanji (Tokyo: Kuroshio, 2010). 9784874244876
Reference text
- Manieri Antonio, Oue Jun’ichi, Grammatica d'uso della lingua giapponese, Milano Hoepli, 2019.
- Mastrangelo Matilde, Oue Jun’ichi, Impariamo il giapponese vol.1, Corso di lingua e cultura giapponese, Milano Hoepli, 2018.
- Mastrangelo, Ozawa, Saito, Grammatica giapponese seconda edizione, Milano Hoepli, 2016.
- Makino Seiichi et al., A Dictionary of Intermediate Japanese Grammar, The Japan Times, Tokyo, 1995
- Makino Seiichi et al., A Dictionary of Advanced Japanese Grammar, The Japan Times, Tokyo, 2008.
- Sunakawa Yuriko et al., Nihongo bunkei jiten, Kuroshio shuppan, Tokyo, 1998.
Contents
1. Grammar and syntax: contrastive and comparative syntactic structures; sentence structure expressing the degree of an action or a situation; relation expressing patterns. Adverbs and conjunctions.
2. Writing and reading: descriptive and expressive texts, short essays.
3. Kanji: about 2000 characters.
4. Listening and conversation.
Course Language
Italian