Chinese Ii and Mediation
A.Y. 2025/2026
Learning objectives
This course aims to consolidate the knowledge of written and spoken Chinese. Notably, it will explore the main grammar and morphosyntactic structures of the language, with in-depth explanations of theoretical notions (sometimes distant from the ones studied at school), examples and comments. Phonetics, writing, listening and communication skills will remain the focus of teaching activities held by the mother-tongue instructor. Students will also be taught how to use a paper dictionary.
Expected learning outcomes
By the end of the course, students will be able to identify, analyse and use the main grammar and morphosyntactic structures in different discourses. Moreover, they will be able to read and translate texts of the textbook from Chinese, as well as to produce short oral and written texts, making proficient use of their newly acquired abilities. The knowledge and skills acquired throughout the course will give access to the Chinese Proficiency Test (HSK) level 2.
Lesson period: year
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course cannot be attended as a single course. Please check our list of single courses to find the ones available for enrolment.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
year
Course syllabus
Program Didactic Unit 1:
Simple and compound locatives; approximation terms; additional prepositional phrases; the complex sentence: temporal subordinates and subordinate conjunctions; indicators of the imminent future; verbal suffix indicating a perfective action.
The Unit will cover the didactic units 14-17 of the textbook Elementary Chinese.
The Unit will cover the didactic units 1-2 of the textbook Intermediate Chinese.
Program Didactic Unit 2:
Verbal complements of degree, result, potential and duration of time; verbal suffixes indicating experience and the continuation of a state.
The unit will cover the didactic units 3-7 of the textbook Intermediate Chinese will be carried out.
Program Didactic Unit 3 - Reading and translating contemporary Chinese texts:
Introduction to reading progressively more complex texts with analysis of syntactic and lexical construction using the dictionary.
Simple and compound locatives; approximation terms; additional prepositional phrases; the complex sentence: temporal subordinates and subordinate conjunctions; indicators of the imminent future; verbal suffix indicating a perfective action.
The Unit will cover the didactic units 14-17 of the textbook Elementary Chinese.
The Unit will cover the didactic units 1-2 of the textbook Intermediate Chinese.
Program Didactic Unit 2:
Verbal complements of degree, result, potential and duration of time; verbal suffixes indicating experience and the continuation of a state.
The unit will cover the didactic units 3-7 of the textbook Intermediate Chinese will be carried out.
Program Didactic Unit 3 - Reading and translating contemporary Chinese texts:
Introduction to reading progressively more complex texts with analysis of syntactic and lexical construction using the dictionary.
Prerequisites for admission
Full mastery of the notions learned during the first year.
Teaching methods
The Italian teacher will explain the new words, the grammatical rules, and the syntactic rules. The Italian teacher is also responsible for translating conversations and readings from Chinese into Italian and translating sentences from Italian to Chinese.
The mother tongue teacher will focus on the pronunciation and writing of Chinese characters, and will guide students in practicing understanding and exposition.
The mother tongue teacher will focus on the pronunciation and writing of Chinese characters, and will guide students in practicing understanding and exposition.
Teaching Resources
Texts adopted:
BULFONI C. - SUN X.L., Elementary Chinese language course (2nd revised and expanded edition), Unicopli Editions, Milan, 2019
BULFONI C. - SUN X.L., Intermediate Chinese language course, Unicopli Editions, Milan, 2018
Recommended readings:
ABBIATI M., The Chinese language, Cafoscarina, Venice, 1992
ALLETON V., The grammar of the Chinese, Astrolabio, Rome, 2004
ABBATI M., Chinese writing over the centuries, Carocci, Rome, 2012
Recommended dictionaries:
Han-ying cidian, A Chinese-English Dictionary (terza edizione), Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press, Beijing, 2010
Zhao Xiuying, Il dizionario di cinese, Zanichelli, 2013
BULFONI C. - SUN X.L., Elementary Chinese language course (2nd revised and expanded edition), Unicopli Editions, Milan, 2019
BULFONI C. - SUN X.L., Intermediate Chinese language course, Unicopli Editions, Milan, 2018
Recommended readings:
ABBIATI M., The Chinese language, Cafoscarina, Venice, 1992
ALLETON V., The grammar of the Chinese, Astrolabio, Rome, 2004
ABBATI M., Chinese writing over the centuries, Carocci, Rome, 2012
Recommended dictionaries:
Han-ying cidian, A Chinese-English Dictionary (terza edizione), Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press, Beijing, 2010
Zhao Xiuying, Il dizionario di cinese, Zanichelli, 2013
Assessment methods and Criteria
The exam consists of a written test and an oral test, both mandatory. In order to participate in the oral test it is mandatory to have passed the written one.
The written test for Italian students involves completing various exercises. In particular, it includes:
-phrases in characters to be transcribed in pinyin and translated into Italian
- phrases to be translated from Italian to Chinese (characters only)
- phrases to be reordered
- phrases in which to insert the missing word given in spaces A, B, C or D.
- phrases in which to insert the missing word by choosing from those indicated in A, B, C, and D.
At the end of the first semester, an intermediate, non-mandatory, test is scheduled.
The oral discussion for Italian students will be divided into two parts:
- reading and translation of conversations and passages and explanation of some grammatical structures drawn from all the lessons covered during the course
- conversation in Chinese with the native speaker.
The written test for Chinese students involves the composition of an essay in Chinese language.
The oral discussion for Chinese students will only include a conversation with the Italian teacher: the candidate will be asked to translate the conversations and readings from the Intermediate Chinese language textbook (lessons 1-9) into Italian.
The written test for Italian students involves completing various exercises. In particular, it includes:
-phrases in characters to be transcribed in pinyin and translated into Italian
- phrases to be translated from Italian to Chinese (characters only)
- phrases to be reordered
- phrases in which to insert the missing word given in spaces A, B, C or D.
- phrases in which to insert the missing word by choosing from those indicated in A, B, C, and D.
At the end of the first semester, an intermediate, non-mandatory, test is scheduled.
The oral discussion for Italian students will be divided into two parts:
- reading and translation of conversations and passages and explanation of some grammatical structures drawn from all the lessons covered during the course
- conversation in Chinese with the native speaker.
The written test for Chinese students involves the composition of an essay in Chinese language.
The oral discussion for Chinese students will only include a conversation with the Italian teacher: the candidate will be asked to translate the conversations and readings from the Intermediate Chinese language textbook (lessons 1-9) into Italian.
L-OR/21 - CHINESE AND SOUTH ASIAN LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES - University credits: 9
Lessons: 60 hours
Professor:
Riva Natalia Francesca
Professor(s)