JAPANESE LANGUAGE 2 MOD.2

This course is one of the characterizing teachings of the second year of the "Japan" curriculum of the course "Languages, Cultures and Societies of Asia and Mediterranean Africa".
Its formative objectives belong to the area of language skills learning.
The objectives of the course are: to provide knowledge of elementary-level Japanese grammar; to provide basic skills for reading, writing and oral production in Japanese; to provide knowledge and skills for the metalinguistic analysis of the Japanese language and for the translation from Japanese into Italian.
The level that students should reach at the end of the course should be around an A2 level of the CEFR (between level N4 and N3 of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test).
This class is part of the Japanese language program; it builds on the skills acquired in the "Japanese language 1" and "Japanese language 2.1" classes and prepares the students to continue with "Japanese language 3.1" in their third year.

1. Knowledge and understanding
- to complete the knowledge of the grammatical structures of elementary-level Japanese
- to complete the knowledge of elementary-level writing system (with the acquisition of 242 new kanji) and vocabulary
- to know and understand the functioning of the grammatical structures of elementary-level Japanese
- to know and understand variations in the register and communication pragmatics of elementary-level Japanese
- to know and understand key concepts and the essential terminology required to describe in a scientific way the phenomena studied during the class

2. Applying knowledge and understanding:
- to know how to identify grammatical categories and their properties
- to demonstrate a general understanding of basic grammar structures
- to be able to describe constructions and grammatical phenomena studied during classes by correctly using the terminology and the basic tools of syntactic analysis
- to know how to interact in the communicative situations described by the A2 level of the CEFR
- to know how to understand and produce oral and written texts in agreement with the A2 level of the CEFR
- to be able to translate elementary-level written texts from Japanese into Italian, following the instructions provided during the course
- to be able to use the electronic dictionary and other translation tools

3. Making judgements:
- to be able to express elementary concepts and produce examples to support or refute them in Japanese
- to be able to autonomously produce translation choices on the basis of the indications provided during class
- to be able to critically test current myths and prejudices about the Japanese language (eg presumed untranslatability, opacity, etc.)

4. Communication:
- written and oral comprehension and production skills and oral interaction required by the A2 level of the CEFR
- to be able, during classes, to interact with one's peers, with the teacher and with the CELs in a critical and respectful way

5. Lifelong learning skills:
- to be able to take notes pertinently and effectively
- to be able to consult the texts and reference materials suggested in the course bibliography
- to be able to develop the skills acquired in the course to undertake higher studies.

Having achieved the learning results of the "Japanese language 1" class.
Having achieved (even without having passed its intermediate test) the learning results of the "Japanese language 2.1" class.
Knowledge of the basic categories of sentence analysis.

Elementary grammar notions, reading comprehension and translation exercises (30 hours: Caterina Mazza);
Writing MOD. 2A;
Oral production MOD. 2B
Grammar exercises MOD. 2C
Free conversation MOD. 2D
Grammar exercises based on the "Bunka" textbook MOD. 2E

Attendance, although not compulsory, is strongly recommended.
No additional readings are required for non-attending students.

Compulsory grammar. One among:
① Yoko Kubota, Grammatica di Giapponese Moderno, Venezia, Cafoscarina, 1989;
② Matilde Mastrangelo, Naoko Ozawa, Mariko Saito, Grammatica Giapponese (seconda edizione), Milano, Hoepli, 2016

Suggested further readings:
③ Makino Seichi, Michio Tsutsui, A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar, The Japan Times, 1989
④ Shin Shokyu Nihongo Lingua Giapponese, Corso introduttivo I, ed. italiana a cura di S. Dalla Chiesa, Venezia, Cafoscarina, 2005 (N.B. Versione elettronica in http://jplang.tufs.ac.jp/account/login );

Manual:
⑤ Shin Bunka Shokyu Nihongo (vol.II), ed. italiana a cura di S. Dalla Chiesa, Venezia, Cafoscarina, 2004;

CEL textbooks

* Suggested electronic dictionary:
model CASIO “XD-Y7400" (http://casio.jp/exword/products/XD-Y7400/ ) or older model from the series 7400 (ITA-JAP, JAP-ITA dictionary included; classical Japanese dictionary not included.)


model Casio “XD-Y6500" (http://casio.jp/exword/products/XD-Y6500/ ) or older from the series 6500 (classical Japanese dictionary included; ITA-JAP, JAP-ITA dictionary not included. An XS-SH17MC cartridge is required).

This course of Japanese language is held in two semesters.

At the end of the first semester there will be:
1. a writing and grammar test performed on the computer.
This test does not provide a numerical score, but only an "idoneità" judgment, required to take the second semester test.

At the end of the second semester there will be a final test consisting of:
1. a written test of kanji and grammar without the aid of the dictionary - 35 min;
2. a Japanese-to-Italian written translation with dictionary - 90 min;
3. an oral exam featuring: a reading comprehension test, questions on the grammar examined during the course, conversation and role play.
The final grade will be determined by the average of the 30/30 grades obtained in each of the three tests.

The 18 credits associated with this class will be achieved after passing the intermediate and final exam.
The "idoneità" achieved in part I (intermediate) will be valid until the completion of part II (final) by and no later than the January appeal of the following year.
In case of failure to pass part II on the January appello, the student will have to take again the exam of the first part and will be able to do starting from the second appello of January.

Frontal classes of grammar and translation.
Conversation in Japanese in small groups.
Study material (e.g. powerpoint presentations) are available on the moodle platform.

written and oral