Japanese Language for special purposes and translation
Academic Year 2025/2026 - Teacher:
LUCA CAPPONCELLI
Expected Learning Outcomes
1) Knowledge and understanding: students will be able to listen and comprehend basic conversation patterns encountered in daily life and generally follow their contents. Logical comprehension of basic syntactic patterns. Knowledge of 500 kanji and 3500 words of general use. Dialogic skills connected to everyday topics, cultural topics, and specific topics. Writing and reading skills are connected to daily, cultural, and specific issues. At the end of the course, the students must possess a fundamental knowledge of the main linguistic patterns (i.e. honorific, humble, gender, age, formal, informal).
2) Applying knowledge and understanding: the students will be able to use the achieved skills autonomously and to connect with daily life context (asking or giving information, environment descriptions, essential dialogue, reading and writing skills).
3) Making judgments: comprehension and production of data and information. The students will approach the study of the Japanese language and culture free from any ethnocentric perspective.
4) Communication skills: class and laboratory activities such as simulations of ordinary contexts (giving or transferring information, daily topics, and topics linked to Japanese culture and topical issues in the Japanese context) will enhance the communication skills connected to a wide range of topics.
5) Learning skills: alongside the class and laboratory activities, the students will also carry out individual activities aimed at improving analytical skills and reinforcing reading, writing, listening, speaking and translation skills.
Course Structure
Face-to-face lectures, workshops and individual activities.
Should teaching be carried out in mixed mode or remotely, it may be necessary to introduce changes with respect to previous statements, in line with the programme planned and outlined in the syllabus.
Required Prerequisites
Basic language skills equivalent to JLPT level N4 or passing the 'Japanese Language and Translation II examination.
Detailed Course Content
Course contents include increasing the knowledge of the Japanese language's morphology, syntax, and phonology. Writing, reading, listening and speaking skills connected to general and specific topics. Knowledge of the fundamental language patterns (honorific, humble, gender, age, formal, informal) is also required.
Textbook Information
1) Silvana De Maio, Carolina Negri, Junichi Oue (curr.), Corso di lingua giapponese, Vol. III, Hoepli, Milano ISBN-10: 8820336650, ISBN-13: 978-8820336653
2) Minna no nihongo chukyu I. Honsatsu, 3A Corporation, Tokyo.
Other listening and speaking materials available at: http://subsites.icu.ac.jp/jlp/text_e.html
Textbook used for laboratory activities:
Minna no nihongo shokyu I Chokai takusuku 25, 3 A, Tokyo ISBN-10: 3835940090, ISBN-13: 978-3835940093
Minna no nihongo shokyu II Chokai tasuku 25, 3A, Tokyo ISBN-10: 3835940260, ISBN-13: 978-3835940260
Additional reference materials will be distributed during class activities or
available on Studium digital platform.
Recommended reference materials for individual activities
Makino Seiichi, Tsutsui Michio, A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar, The Japan Times, Tokyo, 1989.
Makino Seiichi, Tsutsui Michio, A Dictionary of Intermediate Japanese Grammar, The Japan Times, Tokyo, 1995.
M. Mastrangelo, Naoko Ozawa, Mariko Saitō, Grammatica giapponese, Hoepli, Milano, 2016.
Y. Kubota, Grammatica di Giapponese Moderno, Cafoscarina, Venezia, 1989.
Oue Jun’ichi, Manieri Antonio, Grammatica d'uso della lingua giapponese. Teoria ed esercizi. Livelli N5N3 del Japanese Language Proficiency Test, Hoepli, Milano 2019.
The teacher may distribute additional reference material during class activities or make it available on Studium digital platform.
Please remember that in compliance with art 171 L22.04.1941, n. 633 and its amendments, it is illegal to copy entire books or journals, only 15% of their content can be copied.
For further information on sanctions and regulations concerning photocopying please refer to the regulations on copyright (Linee Guida sulla Gestione dei Diritti d’Autore) provided by AIDRO - Associazione Italiana per i Diritti di Riproduzione delle opere dell’ingegno (the Italian Association on Copyright).
All the books listed in the programs can be consulted in the library.
Learning Assessment
Learning Assessment Procedures
Written exam:
Questions on syntax, fill-in-the-blank（穴埋め）, multiple choice, reading comprehension with true-false（正誤）, written production of sentences, sakubun. Listening with multiple choice questions, kanji writing skills and the ability to transcribe kanji from the syllabus into hiragana. Students will pass the written exam if 60% or more of the answers are correct.
Oral exam:
Ability to read single and compound kanji from among those foreseen in the syllabus (see learning objectives). Dialogical capacity on general and specific contents, description of contexts or situations, oral production in honorary and humble, formal and informal language. Verbal presentation ability on a generic or particular topic. Linguistic and grammatical correspondence in translating the Japanese language into Italian corresponding to JLPT N3 level (or B2 independent user level of the JF standard).
The examination assessment will consider the candidate's mastery of the content and skills acquired, linguistic accuracy and lexical accuracy, and ability to present arguments logically and coherently.
