LITERARY LANGUAGES (JAPAN)

This is one of the "integrative" courses of the "humanities" track within the "Japan" curriculum of the Bachelor's Degree Programme in "Language, Culture and Society of Asia and Mediterranea Africa".
The course contributes to the attainment of the teaching goals of the Corso di Laurea in the area of language skills, but it also invests the cultural and humanities areas.
This course contributes to:
- the linguistic preparation aimed at understanding critically the cultural heritage of the countries of East Asia (in this case: Japan)
- the use of language compentences in reading and interpreting texts in the student's language of study;
- the attainment of specific abilities in finding and interpreting data to elaborate answers to specific theoretical and practical problems.

The class aims to provide notions and abilities pertaining the reading, study, interpretation and translation of literary texts (in general) and literary texts in Japanese (in particular).

Knowledge and understanding:
- to know the principal tools for bibliographical research in the field of Japanese literature studies
- to know a number of tools of the academic discourse in the field of Japanese literature studies
- acquire a number of concepts and tools for literary critique and textual analysis

Applying knowledge and understanding:
- to be able to apply formal and practcial notions for bibliographical research, references organizing, reading of academic texts, academic writing
- to be able to apply concepts and tools for literary critique and textual analysis to literary texts written in Japanese

Communication:
- to master a number of formal rules in the writing of a reference list
- to know a numer of formal rules and rhetorical techniques in writing short academic essays

Autonomy of judgement:
- to be able to establish a hierarchy between the sources
- to be able to produce a personal, persuasive and well-researched argument regarding the literary texts that will be analyzed

The ideal target of this class are those students who (regardless of the exams they have passed or the classes they have attended before) have attained the teaching goals expected by the end of the first two years of the "Japan" curriculum.
More specifically, they are required to possess:
- a Japanese language level corresponding to that attained with the class "Japanese language 2.2".
- an adequate knowledge of the history of Japanese literature (corresponding to the classes "Japanese literature" 1, 2 and 3).
- a very basic knowledge of literary Japanese ("bungo") (corresponding to the class "History of Japanese language").

The students are required to do some activities at home (readings and exercises). Some of them will be evaluated.

For their individual study and the completion of the assignments of this class, the students are strongly advised to have access to a personal computer. Activities such as bibliographical research and academic writing (which are part of the class and will be required to students) are nearly impossible by using a smartphone.

This year's theme is: "Modern Japanese Poetry (1900-1945)".

The course will be organized as follows:

Lessons 1-5: bibliographical research and organizing the references (intermediate evaluation)

The following classes will be organized into blocks of 3, each block on a different case study:
a) Introductory lecture by the teacher on the case study
b) Class discussion on the critical literature on the case study (1 or 2 articles to read beforehand at home)
c) Translation and analysis of creative texts related to the case study (translations to be preparared at home)

The students are required to complete a mid-class assignment (individually or by groups, depending on the number of enrolled students) for each one of these blocks. The assignments will contribute to the final evaluation of the "frequentanti".

1) bibliographical research and organizing the references

- vademecum for bibliographical research provided by the teacher

2) case studies

- Pierantonio Zanotti, "Introduzione alla storia della poesia giapponese: Dall'Ottocento al Duemila", Venezia, Marsilio, 2012, cap. 1-11.
- Remo Ceserani, "Il testo poetico", Bologna, Il Mulino, 2005.
- academic articles and creative texts provided by the teacher;

Reading list for "non frequentanti" (I will consider as "non frequentanti" those students that will have attended less than 10 lessons or, having attended at least 10 lessons, will not have completed all the mid-class assignments):
- all the academic articles and the creative texts that will be presented and discussed during classes
- all the following books:
- Pierantonio Zanotti, "Introduzione alla storia della poesia giapponese: Dall'Ottocento al Duemila", Venezia, Marsilio, 2012, chap. 1-11.
- Remo Ceserani, "Il testo poetico", Bologna, Il Mulino, 2005.
- Brioschi, Franco, Di Girolamo Costanzo, Fusillo, Massimo, "Introduzione alla letteratura", Roma, Carocci, 2013
- Keene, Donald, "Dawn to the West: Japanese Literature of the Modern Era, Poetry, Drama, Criticism", New York, Columbia University Press, 1999, pp. 1-73, 191-365.

A) frequentanti:

The attainment of the expected learning goals will be verified as follows:

1) bibliographical research and organizing the references
- The students will produce a "bibliography" or "list of references" on an assigned topic (individual mid-class assignment) (20% of the final evaluation)

2) case studies
- The students will write a summary or give an oral presentation of an academic article of one article for each case study (40% of the final evaluation)
- Reading, commentary and translation of literary texts during classes (20% of the final evaluation: students' participation will be evaluated)

Final exam: short oral exam on the read articles and translated texts (20% of the final evaluation)

B) "non frequentanti":
- oral exams on the entire reading list for "non frequentanti"

Frontal lessons and seminars.
Mid-class assignements (individually or by groups, depending on the number of enrolled students).

Italian

This exam (with this syllabus) will be available only for the 4 "appelli" of the 2021-22 academic year. Starting from 2022-23, a new syllabus will be in use.

written and oral