54
Languages and Literature of China and South East Asia
UNIVERSITÀ DEGLI STUDI DI NAPOLI "L'ORIENTALE"
Overview
Date/time interval
Syllabus
Course Objectives
EXPECTED LEARNING OUTCOMES
The course aims to provide students with post-intermediate language skills that enable them to comprehend complex texts—on both concrete and abstract topics, including technical discussions within their field of specialization; to produce written texts—in an appropriate, clear, and coherent style relevant to the subject matter; and to develop oral skills that allow them to interact with relative fluency and spontaneity in conversations with native speakers.
ABILITY TO APPLY KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course, students will have mastered the use of at least 2,500 words. They will be able to present original metalinguistic reflections on written and spoken texts, produce texts in the language on both concrete and abstract topics, translate texts from various specialized fields into Italian, and engage in conversations with native speakers with fluency and spontaneity.
ADDITIONAL EXPECTED LEARNING OUTCOMES
Independent judgment:
Students will be able to manage the acquired skills with critical thinking and independent judgment, using the learned language functions appropriately in context.
Communication skills:
Students will be able to produce clear descriptions and express viewpoints on specific topics. They will be able to express themselves using complex sentences and appropriate language, understand conversations between native speakers on everyday topics, and read and comprehend contemporary narrative texts and academic essays—with the aid of a dictionary.
Learning skills:
Students will be capable of analyzing texts from unfamiliar specialized fields to extract vocabulary and structures typical of a certain language, and use them independently in professional contexts, including those related to audiovisual translation.
Course Prerequisites
The student must be able to read and write between 1,100 and 1,200 characters, understand the main content of spoken discourse related to familiar topics, as well as TV programs and news reports concerning everyday life.
In addition, they should have a good understanding of written texts dealing with familiar subjects and be able to comprehend descriptions of events, feelings, and wishes, including those found in personal letters or messages.
Finally, they should be able to write simply, even on current topics, clearly describe intentions, events, and ambitions, and briefly present reasons and provide explanations for opinions and plans.
Teaching Methods
The course is structured as follows:
- 54 hours of classroom instruction led by the lecturers (during the first semester and part of the second), and group presentations during which students will analyze a self-selected text of approximately 1,000 characters (in the second semester);
- 120 hours of language practice sessions held by native-speaking collaborators and linguistic experts, three times a week for two hours;
- A minimum of 400 hours of individual study.
During the lessons, excerpts from literary and non-fiction works, blogs, newspapers or magazines, legal texts, and audiovisual materials (documentaries, TV series, podcasts) will be read, discussed, and syntactically analyzed. These will focus on the following topics:
- Youth, the world of work, and China;
- Travel and its narratives.
The analysis of audiovisual texts will be accompanied by a reflection on the specific nature of this type of translation.
During the second semester, students will choose a topic and present an analysis of a text as part of a group project. This analysis will serve as an example of the lexical and syntactic features of the specialized language related to the chosen topic. The text selection and the analysis presented will be assessed as concrete evidence of the students’ ability to conduct research and group analysis on materials in Chinese.
The language practice sessions will include exercises, in-class discussions, and the writing of compositions on the above-mentioned themes, approached through a task-based learning methodology.
Assessment Methods
Throughout the year, two non-mandatory midterm assessments will be administered (one at the end of the first semester and one at the end of the second), covering conversation, composition, and translation. The results of these will be taken into account during the final evaluation.
The final exam consists of:
- an online language proficiency test,
- an in-person written and oral component,
- and a group presentation in class.
Online Language Proficiency Test
This test is divided into three parts:
- Listening, reading, and comprehension test
- Grammar and pragmatics test
- Conversation test
- Students who have already passed the midterm assessments will not need to repeat the conversation test.
In-Person Examination
This includes:
- Writing a composition of at least 250 characters
- Translating a short text
- Reading and commenting on texts analyzed during the course
- Analyzing the text presented in the group project (or an individual project for non-attending students)
Students who completed the midterm assessments will not need to repeat the composition and translation sections.
Alternative for Non-Attending Students
Instead of the in-class group project, non-attending students must submit an annotated translation chosen in agreement with the instructors. This must be sent ten days before the exam.
Note: Passing the online language proficiency test is a prerequisite for taking the oral exam.
Assessment Criteria
The online language proficiency test evaluates:
- Listening, reading, and comprehension skills
- The ability to express oneself fluently and accurately in both formal and informal registers
- The ability to justify opinions and discuss the pros and cons of different viewpoints
- Metalinguistic competence
A minimum of 60% correct answers is required to pass. Students must pass each section individually.
The in-person evaluation—which also considers any midterm results—assesses:
- Appropriateness of language use
- Ability to work in a group using Chinese-language materials
Final Grade
The final grade is expressed on a scale of 30, with the possibility of honors (“lode”), and is calculated as the average of the different exam components.
- A minimum grade (18/30) is awarded when the student shows uncertainty in both written and oral Chinese, as well as in Italian, and has only a basic understanding of vocabulary related to complex topics.
- A maximum grade (30/30) is awarded when the student expresses themselves fluently and spontaneously in conversation with a native speaker and demonstrates full command of written expression.
- Honors (lode) are awarded to candidates who show a strong command of theoretical content, use highly appropriate language, and navigate advanced texts with ease.
Non-attending students are encouraged to regularly check the notice board and contact the instructors via email to arrange personalized study plans and ensure participation in midterm assessments.
Texts
REFERENCE TEXTS
Paternicò L- M., Lioi T., Ma X., Di Fusco S., Il cinese per il lavoro, Milano, Hoepli, 2024
Paternicò L. M., Varriano V., Tian H., Grammatica della lingua cinese, Torino, UTET 2021.
Tian H., Paternicò L.M., Varriano V., Grammatica della lingua cinese, Eserciziario, Torino, UTET 2022
Pesaro N. (a cura di), La traduzione del Cinese, Roma, Hoepli 2023 (cap. 2-6-8-10).
Teaching materials available on the Chinese Language IV virtual classroom on the university’s e-learning pages and in the MS Teams.
Recommended dictionaries:
Casacchia G., Bai Yukun, Dizionario Cinese-Italiano, Cafoscarina, Venezia 2013,
Xinhua zidian, Beijing, Shangwu yinshuguan, 1971 o succ.
Recommended softwares:
Wenlin Software for Learning Chinese, Wenlin Institute www.wenlin.com, 1997-2012.
Contents
The program includes activities aimed at providing students with the tools to acquire, refine, and strengthen their linguistic and communicative skills, so that they are able to:
· Express themselves fluently and accurately in both formal and informal registers, using a style appropriate to the context, justifying their opinions, and presenting the pros and cons of different options;
· Read, understand, and analyze texts—including audiovisual materials—from various language domains (political, journalistic, advertising, and literary), and translate them using a dictionary when necessary;
· Write texts in a style appropriate to the communicative purpose, using correct grammatical structures and a good range of vocabulary on a wide variety of topics.
Course Language
Italian and Chinese
More information
Non-attending students are kindly requested to contact the instructors well in advance of their chosen exam date