ADVANCED THAI LANGUAGE FOR SOCIAL SCIENCES 2

The course falls under the core subjects (insegnamenti caratterizzanti) of the Master’s Degree program in 'Languages and Civilizations of Asia and Mediterranean Africa' (Curriculum: Southeast Asia).

Knowledge and understanding:
- Theoretical command of the Thai language at C1 level
- Practical command of the Thai language at C1 level

Applying knowledge and understanding:
- Reading and writing texts at C1 level
- Identifying grammatical categories and their properties at C1 level
- Understanding and interpreting texts at C1 level across various situational contexts
- Participating in conversations at C1 level
- Managing commonly used phrases and idioms

The C1 level of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for languages defines a linguistic competence that enables one to: understand a wide range of demanding, longer texts; express oneself fluently and spontaneously; use language flexibly and effectively for social, academic, and professional purposes; and produce clear, well-structured, detailed text on complex subjects, showing controlled use of organizational patterns, connectors, and cohesive devices.

Completion of the module, ADVANCED THAI LANGUAGE FOR SOCIAL SCIENCES 1 [LM0T10].

The course aims to consolidate advanced-level mastery of the Thai language by enabling students to understand and use specialized vocabulary for the social sciences and complex syntactic structures. Through the analysis of texts specifically designed for this course, participants will learn to consciously manage formal, bureaucratic, and honorific linguistic registers, developing the necessary skills to operate independently in academic, commercial, and institutional contexts.

The lecturer will provide the teaching materials in class and via the Moodle platform.


OPTIONAL READINGS

Edoardo Siani. 2022. La scrittura thai: Sistema e cultura. Libreria Editrice Cafoscarina

Smyth, D. 2002. Thai: An Essential Grammar. London and New York: Routledge

Songkran Bunjarat e Sabattini, Mario. 2017. Grammatica essenziale della lingua thai. Venezia: Libreria Editrice Cafoscarina

Ampai No-one. 2020. Dizionario thailandese. Hoepli

The exam consists of a single assessment (written and oral), the first session of which will be held during the spring exam period. The written exam will last one hour, followed immediately by the oral exam (both must be taken on the same day). The final grade will be determined by the average of the scores from the written and oral exams.

The exam format is identical for both attending and non-attending students.

written and oral

The instructor is responsible for ensuring the authenticity and originality of all examinations and coursework. In cases of suspected academic misconduct, an additional on-site assessment may be required during the exams, which may differ from the standard format.

Scores will be awarded according to the following criteria:

A. Scores in the 18–22 range will be awarded for: sufficient knowledge and applied understanding in relation to the program;
B. Scores in the 23–26 range will be awarded for: fair knowledge and applied understanding in relation to the program;
C. Scores in the 27–30 range will be awarded for: good or excellent knowledge and applied understanding in relation to the program;
D. Honors (lode) will be awarded for outstanding knowledge and applied understanding of the program.

The "blended" learning modality is aimed at promoting independent reading of texts, stimulating analysis and critical thinking in students through autonomous engagement with sources. This approach encourages resourcefulness and a sense of initiative in searching for complex linguistic solutions, ultimately fostering a student-centered learning model. In this context, participants become an active part of the educational process, influencing and guiding the teaching based on their own specific needs and learning paces.

In-person lectures serve as a crucial hub for coordinating the learning path, alternating between preparatory phases and consolidation moments. The lecturer introduces the topics of subsequent readings, providing the interpretive keys and essential tools to enable students to tackle independent study effectively. Online sessions are designed to consolidate student autonomy through a structured and progressive learning path. Each module opens with an introductory video curated by the lecturer, aimed at contextualizing the topic and anticipating the complexities of the module. This is followed by the independent reading of a specialized text specifically written for the course, supported by a list of key vocabulary to facilitate the decoding of technical lexicon. Comprehension of the passage is verified through a quiz with immediate self-assessment, allowing each student to monitor their progress in real time. Finally, active participation is facilitated by a dedicated forum—a collaborative learning space where students can discuss syntactic structures and report specific doubts; these inputs will form the basis of the following week's in-person lecture, ensuring a timely and targeted response from the lecturer.

The course follows a structure of alternating and sequential weekly cycles, where each phase directly prepares for the next. In the online phase, students build the foundations of the unit by watching short video clips by the lecturer, independently reading specialized texts with dedicated glossaries, and completing self-assessment quizzes; any doubts that arise are shared on a dedicated forum. In the subsequent in-person lecture, the lecturer addresses the inputs from the forum to analyze the most complex linguistic structures of the reading just completed and provides the methodological guidelines for the next module. This alternation ensures a smooth transition between independent study and classroom workshop, making students active protagonists of their own educational progression.