LINGUISTICS AND DIDACTICS OF THE CHINESE LANGUAGE

This course, which is one of the interdisciplinary activities offered by the Master's Degree programme in LINGUE E CIVILTÀ DELL'ASIA E DELL'AFRICA MEDITERRANEA , aims at: providing a general knowledge of the main aspects of Chinese linguistics; developing the ability of reflecting on the Chinese language; providing the basic methodological tools for the teaching of Chinese language. The course will particularly focus on Chinese lexicon and morpho-syntax. The achievement of these aims will provide students with important knowledge for the understanding of the dynamics of teaching and learning Chinese language, so as to integrate the skills which mainly characterize the master's degree programme.

Through the attendance of the course and individual study, students will:

1. Knowledge and understanding

- Get to know the main aspects of Chinese linguistics and Chinese language teaching andaquire analytical skills.
- Get to know the basic linguistic terminology and understand the texts that make use of it.

2. Ability to apply knowledge and understanding

- Know how to make a linguistic analysis of different aspects of the Chinese language and to compare it with Italian.
- Contestualize and solve theoretical problems related to the creation of language materials.
- Know how to use correctly linguistic terminology at all stages of application and communication of the acquired knowledge.

3. Communication skills

- Know how to communicate the reflection on linguistic phenomena using an appropriate terminology.

Adequate knowledge of Mandarin Chinese and Italian.

- Description of the varieties of Chinese spoken in the People’s Republic of China. Issues related to the definition of standard Chinese.
- Phonetics and phonology.
- The Chinese writing system: classification and structure of Chinese characters; traditional characters and simplified characters; the origins of Chinese writing.
- Morphology and lexicon: features of Chinese morphology; analysis of the main word formation processes; loanword formation. Chinese brand names formation and translation of foreign brand names into Chinese.
- Elements of syntax.
- Multimedia materials for Chinese Language teaching.

Transparencies presented in class.
Possible supplementary materials will be announced during the course.

A written test consisting in:
- multiple choice questions to verify acquired linguistics knowledge;
- creation of a teaching unit to verify the acquired knowledge in Chinese teaching.

This is a standard learning course.

Italian

written