CLASSIC JAPANESE LANGUAGE 2

This course is part of the curriculum Japan of the master course "Languages and Civilizations of Asia and Northern Africa".
This course contributes to the achievement of the teaching objectives of the master course in the area of language skills and also includes more specific objectives in the fields of cultural and human sciences.
The course aims to provide an understanding of the middle-advanced structures of the historical-literary texts of Premodern Japan, with a particular attention to texts in kanbun (sinitic or classical Chinese) and the various style of gloss-reading (kundoku) through the analysis of primary sources. This will deepen the knowledge of Japanese literature and of the changes occurred to the Japanese language after its encounter with the Chinese language.

Knowledge and understanding:
- to know and understand the basic structure of the Kanbun kundoku reading system
- to know useful tools for conducting bibliographical research independently
- to know and understand the changes that occurred at the time of the meeting between the Japanese language and the Chinese language
- deepening knowledge of historical texts in Japanese written in Chinese characters which occupy an important place in classical Japanese literature.

Apply knowledge and learning:
- analyze and interpret historical Japanese texts written in Chinese using concepts and tools that students acquire during the course.
- use bibliographical references in several languages (including Japanese)
- conducting innovative and interdisciplinary research

Make judgments:
- provide critical reviews of the textual and historical-literary phenomena covered by the programme
- subject different types of resources (academic and creative texts) to critical analysis

Communication:
- express opinions effectively
- Effectively reworking and expressing the views of third parties

Long-term learning skills
- know how to conduct bibliographic research
- know how to critically integrate the study of different materials (notes, slides, manuals, creation texts, academic articles)
- be able to read and synthesise materials written in different languages

Advanced knowledge of modern Japanese.
Good knowledge of classical Japanese grammar.
Basic elements of Kanbun (corresponding to the contents of the course "Classical Japanese Language I").

How were the texts written in Kanji and Kananbun in Pre-modern Japan? What elements of Chinese writing have contributed to the formation of Japanese language and writing? And how were the Chinese texts coming to Japan from the continent studied?
In this course we will study, through the direct reading of the original texts, the environment and literacy that led to the birth of Japanese literature, from the ancient to the medieval period. The aim of the course is to deepen the understanding of Japanese literature in Kanbun, providing the basic knowledge and skills necessary for reading texts in Kanbun in parallel to those in classical Japanese (wabun).

The texts will be provided by the teacher on Moodle.

Oral test to verify the ability to read and translate in Italian texts in Kanbun, understanding of the historical punctuation systems otokoten, rudiments of paleography.
During the test the knowledge of sinitic writing in Japan and of the texts explained during the course will be verified.

During the course the students will read and analyze various types of text, historical and literary, studying their place within the history of Japanese literature premodern.
It will make extensive use of online resources such as online databases and dictionaries.
Discussion in class and exercises to be carried out at home will be the main teaching method.

Italian

oral

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Human capital, health, education" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development