LINGUA CINESE 1 - MOD. B
- Overview
- Assessment methods
- Learning objectives
- Contents
- Full programme
- Bibliography
- Teaching methods
- Contacts/Info
There are no required prerequisites, though students that have already studied Chinese during high school or have spent a semester or a year in China as part of an exchange program will definitely have an advantage. Good English language skills are also an important asset, as most teaching materials and dictionaries, as well as most software apps, that are extremely useful to Chinese language learners, are in English (e.g. Pleco, the powerful smartphone app that is the students’ main dictionary resource).
The first year final exam is both written and oral, and entails:
A written section, evaluated in 1/100s, which has to be passed with a minimum of 60/100 in order to accede to the oral section. Students who do not pass the written section – which will be reviewed on the spot – must take the exam again during the following exam session. This written section is made up of two parts: a dictation (8-10 sentences, which have to be transcribed into simplified characters and annotated with pinyin and tone marks, further adding the correct radical for each character, and finally translated into Italian); a set of grammar exercises (fill-in-the-blanks; word order; correct phrase etc.) and a set of translation exercises (Italian to Chinese), generally five sentences.
An oral section, based on the reading and translation into Italian of texts that have been learned during the year, and on free conversation in Chinese.
The final grade in 1/30s will be arrived at thanks to a conversion algorithm that translates the evaluation of the written section from 1/100s to 1/30s, while the oral section can add 3/30s at most. Students cannot accede to the oral section if they fail the written section, but they cannot pass the exam if they fail to pass the oral section, their positive grade in the written section notwithstanding.
The final grade will be integrated with supplementary points gained by taking part in dictation exercises and a number of extracurricular activities, but that augmented grade must be defended during the oral section of the final exam, which is key for the formulation of the final grade.
The first year Chinese language main goal is to provide solid foundations to the learning method proposed during the three year course, which values the correct pronunciation of Chinese phonemes as well as the correct writing of Chinese characters (starting with the 800 most common characters), while promoting the correct use of the Chinese basic lexicon (starting with the 1000 most common words, within simple sentences and within some examples of complex sentences. At the end of the first year Chinese language course, students will be able to pass the internationally recognized Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi – Chinese Proficiency Exam, level III, although they are generally advised to rather prepare directly for the level IV exam during the following year. They will have learned how to correctly write in Chinese (using Chinese characters or the pinyin alphabetic transcription system), and they will have memorized about 800 among the most frequently used Chinese characters, which they will be able to recognize both in their original and in their simplified forms. Pertaining the original forms, the students will only have to be able to read them, they are not required to know how to write them from memory, though this is encouraged. They will be able to read, translate and use in written composition a vocabulary of about 1000 commonly used words.
They will be able to read and comprehend simple texts.
The students are strongly advised to participate in the one-month long study tour in China, at the Zhejiang University International College in Hangzhou, in the southern Chinese province of Zhejiang. This study tour is organized every year by their teacher in collaboration with the members of the White Tiger Student Association and usually takes place from mid-August to mid-September. Besides offering an 80-hour long intensive Intermediate Chinese language course, which will consolidate and supplement what the students have learned during their first year, this experience will enable students to address culture shock and adapt to Chinese everyday life thanks to the guidance provided by their senior student monitors and chaperones, who will accompany them during the whole stay. Students who already possess an HSK IV certification when they enroll in the first year course will be able to opt for attending a special training course freely offered to them by their teacher, which will take them to the HSK V level.
This course’s main goal is to provide a solid foundation for the students’ learning of the Chinese language, written and spoken. The teaching approach proceeds from the specific characteristics of the Chinese language and the challenges it poses for Italian mother tongue students. Considerable care will be taken to ensure both correct pronunciation and the acquisition of a systematic method for the study and memorization of Chinese characters. Even in a course such as this one, that focuses on conversation skills and the adoption of glossaries and sentence repertoires fit to tackle daily Chinese social life, it is essential in our opinion to ensure that the writing system is correctly assimilated and memorized. Regular dictation exercises and short summaries will be used to monitor the students’ progress. Regular exercise with the native Chinese speaking teacher will help the students gain confidence in their Chinese conversation skills and will perfect their pronunciation. We will focus on the 800 most used high-frequency characters and the 1.000 most used words in high-frequency vocabulary lists. For each new character we will provide an analysis of its structure, its semantic and phonetic components, its stroke order, its radical, its original and simplified form, helping students develop memorization strategies and practices. Students will learn how to consult Chinese dictionaries using both radicals and pinyin as keys, and they will also be trained in the proficient use of the Pleco app, especially its Spaced Repetition System based Flashcard mode.
The course will cover basic grammar and the deployment of the Chinese simple sentence, with a focus on the nominal group and some of the most important complements that tie into the nominal group. Modality and aspect of verbs will also be a crucial topic. Students will also approach translating tasks, from Chinese to Italian and from Italian to Chinese.
This course’s main goal is to provide a solid foundation for the students’ learning of the Chinese language, written and spoken. The teaching approach proceeds from the specific characteristics of the Chinese language and the challenges it poses for Italian mother tongue students. Considerable care will be taken to ensure both correct pronunciation and the acquisition of a systematic method for the study and memorization of Chinese characters. Even in a course such as this one, that focuses on conversation skills and the adoption of glossaries and sentence repertoires fit to tackle daily Chinese social life, it is essential in our opinion to ensure that the writing system is correctly assimilated and memorized. Regular dictation exercises and short summaries will be used to monitor the students’ progress. Regular exercise with the native Chinese speaking teacher will help the students gain confidence in their Chinese conversation skills and will perfect their pronunciation. We will focus on the 800 most used high-frequency characters and the 1.000 most used words in high-frequency vocabulary lists. For each new character we will provide an analysis of its structure, its semantic and phonetic components, its stroke order, its radical, its original and simplified form, helping students develop memorization strategies and practices. Students will learn how to consult Chinese dictionaries using both radicals and pinyin as keys, and they will also be trained in the proficient use of the Pleco app, especially its Spaced Repetition System based Flashcard mode.
The course will cover basic grammar and the deployment of the Chinese simple sentence, with a focus on the nominal group and some of the most important complements that tie into the nominal group. Modality and aspect of verbs will also be a crucial topic. Students will also approach translating tasks, from Chinese to Italian and from Italian to Chinese.
Mandatory texts:
Masini F. et al., Il cinese per gli italiani – Yidaliren xue Hanyu. Corso Base. Vol. I, con CD-ROM, Milano, Hoepli. (ISBN-10: 8820345277; ISBN-13: 978-8820345273).
Masini F. et al., Il cinese per gli italiani – Yidaliren xue Hanyu. Corso Base. Vol. 2, con CD-ROM, Milano, Hoepli (ISBN-10: 8820345285; ISBN-13: 978-8820345280). (first three chapters)
Suggested texts and software apps:
We advise using a good compact Chinese-Italian/Italian-Chinese dictionary, and/or a compact Chinese-English/English-Chinese dictionary, like the following:
Zhang Shihua (a cura di), Dizionario di cinese. Cinese-Italiano/Italiano-Cinese, Milano, Hoepli (ISBN-10: 8820337835; ISBN-13: 978-8820337834).
Manser M.H., Concise English-Chinese/Chinese-English Dictionary (4th Edition), The Commercial Press-Oxford University Press, Beijing (ISBN-10: 7100059453; ISBN-13: 978-7100059459).
Students may also find the following grammars of Chinese very useful:
Li D., Cheng M., Jin D., Liu Y., A Practical Chinese Grammar for Foreigners (Revised Edition), Beijing, Beijing Language and Culture Press, 2008 (ISBN-10: 7561921632; ISBN-13: 978-7561921630).
Zhu C., Gao Y., A Chinese Grammar for English Speakers, Beijing, Peking University Press, 2013 (ISBN 13: 978-7-301-21865-5).
Teng W., Yufa! A Practical Guide to Mandarin Chinese Grammar, London, Routledge, 2011 (ASIN: B00MEY5TW4).
C. Ross, J.-H. Sheng Ma, Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar. A Practical Guide, New York, Routledge. (ISBN 10: 0-415-70010-8, ISBN 13: 978-0-415-70010-8)
C. Ross, J.-H. Sheng Ma, B. He, Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar. Workbook, New York, Routledge (ISBN 10: 0-415-70011-6, ISBN 13: 9-78-0-415-70011-5).
Charles N. Li C.N., Thompson S.A., Mandarin Chinese: A Functional Reference Grammar, University of California Press. (ISBN-10: 0520066103; ISBN-13: 978-0520066106).
M. Abbiati, Grammatica di cinese moderno, Venezia, Cafoscarina. (ISBN 88-85613-80-2).
V. Alleton, La grammatica del cinese, Roma, Astrolabio-Ubaldini Editore. (ISBN 10: 88-340-0385-3, ISBN 13: 978-88-340-0385-5)
Some very useful software platforms and apps can be ideal to work with Chinese texts or enhance memorization techniques (flashcards). We will introduce the students to the most common ones, such as: Wenlin, DimSum, Anki and Pleco
Mainly conventional lectures, with occasional workshops on specific topics.
Day, place and hours of teacher-student counselling will be agreed upon with the students.