Chinese Language and Translation I
A.Y. 2025/2026
Learning objectives
The course aims to develop students' skills in contemporary written and spoken Chinese, building on their prior knowledge of Chinese grammar, syntax and lexicon to help them achieve a strong command of the language. It also seeks to strengthen translation, communication, and text production skills, particularly as regard texts for traditional and online media.
Expected learning outcomes
By the end of the course, students will be able to smoothly read, listen to and understand media texts in Chinese. They will master the specialised vocabulary used in Chinese media, especially regarding inclusion and corporate topics, and will be able to apply mediation strategies when reworking texts for different media platforms. At the end of the course, students are expected to achieve B2 proficiency in Chinese (HSK Level 4).
Lesson period: year
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course can be attended as a single course.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
year
Course syllabus
The course aims to strengthen students' comprehension and production skills in both written and spoken Chinese, with a particular focus on professional contexts. Emphasis will be placed not only on translation abilities but also on the linguistic and communicative competences that underpin them.
Throughout the course, students will learn and apply key expressions across different registers, appropriate to a range of workplace situations. Grammatical structures will be reviewed in depth, and analytical skills will be developed through the examination of authentic texts.
In addition to 80 hours of classroom instruction, students will participate in practice sessions led by a native-speaking tutor. Active participation in all course activities is considered an integral part of the learning experience.
Information, updates on events and academic activities, as well as course materials, will be made available in a timely manner via the ARIEL platform.
Throughout the course, students will learn and apply key expressions across different registers, appropriate to a range of workplace situations. Grammatical structures will be reviewed in depth, and analytical skills will be developed through the examination of authentic texts.
In addition to 80 hours of classroom instruction, students will participate in practice sessions led by a native-speaking tutor. Active participation in all course activities is considered an integral part of the learning experience.
Information, updates on events and academic activities, as well as course materials, will be made available in a timely manner via the ARIEL platform.
Prerequisites for admission
Students should be able to read and translate Chinese texts, to express themselves through articulated conversations and to translate sentences from Italian to Chinese. The course requires kowledge and abilities equivalent to an HSK3 (B1) level.
Teaching methods
The course combines lectures with interactive activities in a balanced and integrated format. Students are expected to participate actively through individual and group exercises, in-class discussions, and collaborative tasks. Considerable attention will be given to dialogue and critical exchange among all participants.
To enhance critical thinking and communication skills, individual and group presentations on selected texts will be scheduled in coordination with the instructor.
Guest lectures and seminars held within the course framework will support the development of specific competencies and offer opportunities to reflect on the broader Chinese linguistic and cultural context.
To enhance critical thinking and communication skills, individual and group presentations on selected texts will be scheduled in coordination with the instructor.
Guest lectures and seminars held within the course framework will support the development of specific competencies and offer opportunities to reflect on the broader Chinese linguistic and cultural context.
Teaching Resources
Paternicò, Luisa M., Lioi Tiziana, Ma Xiaomo, e Di Fusco Serena. Il cinese per il lavoro. Manuale pratico di cinese avanzato per un uso professionale della lingua. Milano: Hoepli, 2024.
Additional materials will be provided by the instructors via the ARIEL platform.
Additional materials will be provided by the instructors via the ARIEL platform.
Assessment methods and Criteria
The exam consists of a written test and an oral exam, both of which are mandatory.
The final grade will be determined by the average of the results obtained in the two components.
Written exam for Italian students and for Chinese students who completed their undergraduate studies in Italy
The written exam includes:
· completion of applied exercises similar in format, content, and level of difficulty to those found in the required course texts;
· completion of exercises modeled on the HSK4 exam, but based on the course content and drawn from the required texts.
Oral exam for Italian students and for Chinese students who completed their undergraduate studies in Italy
The oral exam is divided into two parts:
· First part, with the native Chinese-speaking instructor: the candidate will engage in a conversation in Chinese on agreed-upon topics and respond to questions about the material covered in class;
· Second part, with the Italian-speaking instructor: the candidate will be asked to read a passage from the required texts, explain certain expressions and analyze their formal structure, and provide a translation.
Written exam for native Chinese-speaking students who did not complete their undergraduate studies in Italy
This written exam includes:
· translation from Chinese into Italian of a passage taken from the course textbooks;
· translation from Italian into Chinese of an excerpt comparable in level and content to those in the required textbook.
Oral exam for native Chinese-speaking students who did not complete their undergraduate studies in Italy
For these students, the oral exam consists solely of an interview with the Italian-speaking instructor. The candidate will be asked to:
· translate into Italian selected passages from the required texts and respond to content-related questions in Italian;
· if applicable, translate similar passages into Chinese;
· analyze syntactic structures and explain the grammatical features present in selected excerpts.
Participation in group work and the related output will form an integral part of the final assessment. Students who do not take part in group work will be required to complete a longer written exam.
The format of both the written and oral exams is the same for attending and non-attending students.
The final grade will be determined by the average of the results obtained in the two components.
Written exam for Italian students and for Chinese students who completed their undergraduate studies in Italy
The written exam includes:
· completion of applied exercises similar in format, content, and level of difficulty to those found in the required course texts;
· completion of exercises modeled on the HSK4 exam, but based on the course content and drawn from the required texts.
Oral exam for Italian students and for Chinese students who completed their undergraduate studies in Italy
The oral exam is divided into two parts:
· First part, with the native Chinese-speaking instructor: the candidate will engage in a conversation in Chinese on agreed-upon topics and respond to questions about the material covered in class;
· Second part, with the Italian-speaking instructor: the candidate will be asked to read a passage from the required texts, explain certain expressions and analyze their formal structure, and provide a translation.
Written exam for native Chinese-speaking students who did not complete their undergraduate studies in Italy
This written exam includes:
· translation from Chinese into Italian of a passage taken from the course textbooks;
· translation from Italian into Chinese of an excerpt comparable in level and content to those in the required textbook.
Oral exam for native Chinese-speaking students who did not complete their undergraduate studies in Italy
For these students, the oral exam consists solely of an interview with the Italian-speaking instructor. The candidate will be asked to:
· translate into Italian selected passages from the required texts and respond to content-related questions in Italian;
· if applicable, translate similar passages into Chinese;
· analyze syntactic structures and explain the grammatical features present in selected excerpts.
Participation in group work and the related output will form an integral part of the final assessment. Students who do not take part in group work will be required to complete a longer written exam.
The format of both the written and oral exams is the same for attending and non-attending students.
L-OR/21 - CHINESE AND SOUTH ASIAN LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES - University credits: 12
Lessons: 80 hours
Professors:
Cella Gloria, Gallo Simona
Professor(s)