KOREAN LINGUISTICS

This course is part of the related educational activities within the Master’s Degree Program in Languages and Cultures of Asia and Mediterranean Africa. It aims to provide a structured and in-depth exploration of key topics in Korean linguistics. The course is designed to enhance students' comprehensive understanding of the Korean language and Korean linguistics, focusing on core structural aspects such as morphology and syntax. Special attention will be given to interlinguistic dynamics and the functional mechanisms of the Korean language. The course emphasizes equipping students with theoretical knowledge and analytical tools applicable to both linguistic research and the informed use of Korean. Achieving these learning objectives will strengthen students’ linguistic and cultural competencies, providing a solid academic foundation that is coherently integrated with the overall goals of the master’s degree program.

By the end of the course, students will have acquired both theoretical and practical knowledge essential for the linguistic analysis of Korean, developing a solid understanding of the language’s key structural components and its typological specificities. They will be able to apply general linguistic methodologies to the study of Korean, particularly in the areas of morphology, syntax, semantics, and phonology.

Specifically, the expected competencies include:

Knowledge and Understanding
- Understanding fundamental concepts and theories of Korean linguistics, with particular focus on morphology, syntax, semantics, and phonology.
- Developing metalinguistic awareness and critical thinking skills, with attention to the distinctive features of Korean in comparison with Italian and English.
- Mastery of essential linguistic terminology and the ability to understand and interpret specialized texts in the field of Korean linguistics.

Applying Knowledge and Understanding
- Applying basic methods of linguistic analysis to real Korean language data, such as syntactic structures, morphological variations, and spoken language samples.
- Conducting contrastive analyses between Korean and other languages (particularly Italian and English) to identify relevant similarities and differences for translation and linguistic mediation.
- Addressing theoretical issues related to translation, interpretation, and teaching, using appropriate linguistic terminology.
- Explaining Korean grammatical phenomena from a theoretical perspective and applying the results of linguistic analysis to diverse communicative and academic contexts.

Judgement Skills
- Critically assessing one’s own theoretical and practical competence in linguistic analysis, identifying areas of strength and areas for improvement.

Communication Skills
- Communicating arguments and linguistic analyses clearly and coherently using appropriate scientific terminology.
- Participating in academic discussions and debates on linguistic topics with theoretical awareness and lexical precision.

Learning Skills
- Integrating linguistic concepts and methods from various fields and applying them independently to the study of Korean.
- Approaching specialized texts in the original language with sufficient autonomy, critical thinking, and interpretative skill.

To successfully attend the Korean Linguistics course, students are expected to meet the following prerequisites:
- Intermediate proficiency in Korean: students should possess solid linguistic skills at least at the B1 level (according to the CEFR), in order to understand authentic language examples and grammatical explanations in Korean.
- Basic knowledge of general linguistics: familiarity with fundamental linguistic concepts (such as phoneme, morpheme, syntax, semantics, etc.), either from prior coursework or independent study, is recommended:
Tullio De Mauro, Corso di linguistica generale, Laterza, 2008.
David Crystal, La linguistica, Il Mulino, 2010 (How Language Works, Penguin, 2005).
Victoria Fromkin et al., Introduzione alla linguistica, Zanichelli, 2003 (An Introduction to Language, Wadsworth, 2003).
Giorgio Graffi & Sergio Scalise, Le lingue e il linguaggio, Il Mulino, 2002.
- Analytical and abstract thinking skills: the ability to engage in theoretical reasoning and metalinguistic reflection will be valuable for understanding more advanced linguistic discussions.
- Passive reading ability in English: as part of the course readings may be in English, students should be able to comprehend academic texts in English

Lesson 1: Introduction to the course: objectives, methodology, and typological features of the Korean language

Lesson 2: Korean phonetics and phonology

Lesson 3: Lexical compounding in the Korean language

Lesson 4: Derivational processes in Korean

Lesson 5: In-depth analysis of Korean compound formation

Lesson 6: The lexical system of Korean

Lesson 7: Loanwords in the Korean language

Lesson 8: Neologisms in the Korean language

Lesson 9: The system and classification of Korean case particles, including connective and auxiliary particles

Lesson 10: Classification, functions, and conjugation of Korean verbs (including speech registers, irregular verbs, and verb tenses)

Lesson 11: Korean nouns, pronouns, numerals, and classifiers

Lesson 12: Active and passive constructions in Korean, including the formation of simple and complex sentences

Lesson 13: Negation in Korean and the structure of relative clauses

Lesson 14: The construction of sentences with nominalized verbs and direct and indirect speech

Lesson 15: Practical approaches to the study of Korean morphology and syntax

Crystal, D. (2010). La linguistica. Bologna: Il Mulino. (Original work published 2005, How Language Works, London: Penguin)
De Mauro, T. (2008). Corso di linguistica generale. Rome-Bari: Laterza.
Fromkin, V., Rodman, R., & Hyams, N. (2003). Introduzione alla linguistica. Bologna: Zanichelli. (Original work published 2003, An Introduction to Language, Boston: Wadsworth).
Kang, S. H. (2024, June). Morfologia coreana (pp. 1–287). Venice: Libreria Editrice Cafoscarina.
Kang, S. H. (2024, June). Sistema verbale coreano (pp. 1–263). Venice: Libreria Editrice Cafoscarina.
Sohn, H.-M. (1999). The Korean Language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Lee, I., & Ramsey, S. R. (2000). The Korean Language. Albany: State University of New York Press.
Graffi, G., & Scalise, S. (2002). Le lingue e il linguaggio. Bologna: Il Mulino.

The final evaluation for the course will be based entirely on a written exam, which will account for 100% of the final grade. The exam will cover topics discussed throughout the course.

written

Regarding the grading scale, the final score will be assigned based on the results of the written and oral components, according to the following criteria:

- 18–22: awarded in the presence of sufficient knowledge of the course content and basic applied skills;

- 23–26: awarded in the presence of fair knowledge and a good level of comprehension and application of the topics covered;

- 27–30: awarded in the presence of good or excellent knowledge, along with solid analytical, interpretative, and productive abilities;

- 30 with honors: awarded in the presence of outstanding and in-depth knowledge of the course material, advanced language proficiency, and high-level critical and applied skills.

During the orientation session, the main reference textbooks will be introduced to the students. For each lesson, materials related to the topics covered will be uploaded in PDF format to the Moodle platform, in order to support students’ individual study, preparation, and review.

Detailed information regarding the written exam will be provided during the first class session. To support students in understanding the exam format, a sample test will be uploaded to the Moodle platform. Non-attending students are required to contact the instructor at the beginning of the course to receive specific guidance on the assessment methods, course materials, and the texts required for the exam.