CHINESE LANGUAGE 1 (I)

This course is one of the core educational activities of the Master Degree Programme in Languages and Civilizations of Asia and North Africa (Chinese). It aims at strengthening students’ abilities to translate into Italian from Chinese, and vice versa, as well as developing methodological tools for linguistic analysis and interlinguistic comparison. Students will thus be able to apply their language skills to understanding and interpreting the main social and cultural transformations that occurred in modern and contemporary China. Conversation courses have the purpose of guiding students in the acquisition of the ability to discuss issues related to Chinese society and culture in the context of the ongoing globalisation processes.

To achieve a level of language proficiency equivalent to level B2+ of the CEFR (Common European framework of reference for language proficiency). In particular:

1. Knowledge and understanding
- Becoming familiar with the basic linguistic terminology of translation
- Acquiring skills for the analysis of language and of its rhetorical devices, as well as understanding its use in specific social and cultural contexts.

2. Ability to apply knowledge and understanding
- Knowing how to perform linguistic analysis on different aspects of your mother tongue and of the Chinese language

3. Judgement skills
- Knowing how to formulate and defend hypotheses, while developing a critical approach to the evaluation of alternative hypotheses as well.

4. Communication skills
- Acquiring the ability to discuss issues concerning Chinese culture using appropriate terminology.
- Being able to communicate the specificities of linguistic and textual analysis using appropriate terminology.

5. Learning skills
• Knowing how to relate the different contexts of study and apply your knowledge and skills for personal and professional growth.

Having a good command of the Italian language and a Chinese language proficiency corresponding to the level B1+ of the CEFR (Common European Framework of reference for language proficiency).

The course develops the ability to understand, analyse and translate Chinese articles concerned with contemporary Chinese society and culture. Specifically, it is structured as follows:
- 30 hours of reading comprehension, linguistic analysis and translation of Chinese texts;
- 60 hours of conversation training (A);
- 60 hours of training in Italian-Chinese translation (B);
- conversation tutoring (C);
- translation tutoring (D);
- supplemental translation training (E).

Texts to be used during classes
• The Chinese texts that will be used during the translation (Chinese > Italian) classes will be available on the website https://moodle.unive.it/ in the section “[LM005I] LINGUA CINESE 1 MOD.1 - prof. G.F. Arcodia”.
• For conversation training (A, C), the teaching materials will be made available by the lecturer on Moodle.
• Niu Guoqiang, Yi-Han fanyi jiaocheng. Dispensa di traduzione dall’italiano in cinese, Cafoscarina, Venezia 2005 (units 12-18; units 3-11 for training group E).

Suggested dictionaries
- Wenlin 3.x (www.wenlin.com) or later version.
- Pleco Software (for iPhone/iPad e Android), basic version available for free download from www.pleco.com; several add-ons available).
- Xinhua zidian, Beijing, Shangwu yinshuguan, 1971 or later edition.
- Casacchia G. and Bai Y., Dizionario Cinese-Italiano, Cafoscarina, Venezia, 2013.
- Han-ying da cidian - Chinese-English Dictionary, ed. by Wu Guanghua, Shanghai, Shanghai Jiaotong Daxue chubanshe, 1993 or later edition, 2 vols.

Further dictionaries for translation into Chinese:
- Dizionario cinese-italiano italiano-cinese, Hoepli, Milano, 2007
- Zhang Shi Hua, SFLEP Dizionario Conciso Italiano-Cinese Cinese-Italiano, Waiyu jiaoyu chubanshe, Shanghai 2006
- Dizionario italiano-cinese - Yi-han cidian, Beijing, Shangwu yinshuguan, 1985 e succ.

The verification of acquired abilities and skills is carried out through three tests:
- Reading comprehension and translation into Italian of a Chinese text dealing with cultural topics;
- Conversation in Chinese;
- Italian-Chinese translation of sentences containing complex grammatical structures.
In order to pass the exam the minimum score for each test is 6/10: the final mark is the sum of the marks obtained in the three tests.

written and oral

For the comprehension and translation test of a Chinese text on a general or cultural topic, one point will be awarded for each correct answer in the six true/false and multiple-choice questions. The remaining four points will be assigned based on the translation into Italian, which will be evaluated for fidelity to the original text and adequacy in the target language (Italian).
For the conversation test in a general and cultural context, the student's ability to express themselves fluently and correctly while maintaining coherence with the discussion topic will be assessed.
In the test of translating sentences into Chinese that include complex grammatical structures, the evaluation will consider adherence to the original text, grammatical and lexical accuracy, and the correct writing of characters. Details regarding the scoring and the relative weight of different types of errors are available on the course's Moodle page.

As for the grading scale, scores will be assigned according to the following criteria:

A. Scores in the 18–22 range will be awarded in cases of: sufficient ability to understand the proposed Chinese texts, to render them in translation, and to effectively translate Italian sentences into Chinese;
B. Scores in the 23–26 range will be awarded in cases of: fair ability to understand the proposed Chinese texts, to render them in translation, and to effectively translate Italian sentences into Chinese;
C. Scores in the 27–30 range will be awarded in cases of: good or excellent ability to understand the proposed Chinese texts, to render them in translation, and to effectively translate Italian sentences into Chinese;
D. Honors (lode) will be awarded in cases of: outstanding ability to understand the proposed Chinese texts, to render them in translation, and to effectively translate Italian sentences into Chinese.

Teaching is organized in:
a) translation classes;
b) writing and conversation practice aimed at building and consolidating the knowledge, skills and competences required to meet the goal of the course;
c) tutoring aimed at discussing and clarifying specific language problems that emerged during the classes.