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Foreign language C for translators and interpreters 1 (Chinese)

Code: 101475
Credits: 9
2026/2027
Degree programme Type Course
Translation and Interpreting OP 4

Contact lecturer

Name :
Sara Rovira Esteva
Email :
sara.rovira@uab.cat

Teaching staff

Mireia Vargas Urpi

Group languages

You can consult this information at the end of the document.

Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites for this course.

Objectives

The aim of this course is to introduce students to the most basic and essential aspects of the Chinese language and to work on the four communicative skills. By the end of the course, students will be able to understand and use frequent, everyday expressions, as well as simple sentences intended to meet immediate needs, such as introducing themselves or others, and asking for and providing basic personal information about their surroundings. This corresponds, as a guideline, to level A1.1 of the CEFR.

Learning outcomes

  1. Applying lexical, morphosyntactic, textual, rhetorical and linguistic variation related knowledge: Applying graphic, lexical, morphosyntactic, textual and linguistic variation related knowledge.
  2. Applying lexical, morphosyntactic, textual, rhetorical and linguistic variation related knowledge: Applying graphic, lexical and morphosyntactic basic knowledge.
  3. Applying lexical, morphosyntactic, textual, rhetorical and linguistic variation related knowledge: Applying graphic, lexical and morphosyntactic knowledge.
  4. Applying lexical, morphosyntactic, textual, rhetorical and linguistic variation related knowledge: Applying graphic, lexical, morphosyntactic and textual related knowledge.
  5. Implementing strategies in order to understand written texts from different fields: Implementing strategies in order to understand basic written expressions related to the immediate environment.
  6. Implementing strategies in order to understand written texts from different fields: Implementing strategies in order to comprehend information of short and simple written texts related to the immediate environment.
  7. Implementing strategies in order to understand written texts from different fields: Implementing strategies in order to comprehend written texts about general topics.
  8. Implementing strategies in order to understand written texts from different fields: Implementing strategies in order to comprehend verbal texts of a certain complexity about personal and general topics of well-known areas.
  9. Implementing strategies in order to understand written texts from different fields: Implementing strategies in order to comprehend a diverse typology of written texts about general topics of well-known areas.
  10. Implementing strategies in order to understand written texts from different fields: Implementing strategies in order to comprehend a diverse typology of written texts of a certain complexity about general topics from a wide variety of fields and registers.
  11. Comprehending the communicative purpose and sense of written texts of several fields: Comprehending information of short and simple written texts about subjects related to the immediate environment.
  12. Comprehending the communicative purpose and sense of written texts of several fields: Comprehending the essential information of written texts about general topics.
  13. Comprehending the communicative purpose and sense of written texts of several fields: Comprehending the communicative purpose and sense of written texts of a certain complexity about personal and general topics of well-known areas.
  14. Comprehending the communicative purpose and sense of written texts of several fields: Comprehending the communicative purpose and sense of a diverse typology of written texts about general topics of well-known areas.
  15. Comprehending the communicative purpose and sense of written texts of several fields: Comprehending the communicative purpose and sense of a diverse typology of written texts about general topics from a wide variety of fields and registers.
  16. Applying lexical, morphosyntactic, textual, rhetorical and linguistic variation related knowledge: Applying graphic, lexical, morphosyntactic, textual and linguistic variation related knowledge.
  17. Applying lexical, morphosyntactic, textual, rhetorical and linguistic variation related knowledge: Applying graphic, lexical and morphosyntactic knowledge.
  18. Applying lexical, morphosyntactic, textual, rhetorical and linguistic variation related knowledge: Applying graphic, lexical, morphosyntactic and textual related knowledge.
  19. Implementing strategies in order to produce written texts of different fields and with specific communicative purposes: Implementing strategies to use the basic graphic and lexical system in order to produce simple written expressions related to the immediate environment.
  20. Implementing strategies in order to produce written texts of different fields and with specific communicative purposes: Implementing strategies in order to produce really short and simple written texts about topics related to the immediate environment.
  21. Implementing strategies in order to produce written texts of different fields and with specific communicative purposes: Implementing strategies in order to produce written texts about topics related to the immediate environment.
  22. Implementing strategies in order to produce written texts of different fields and with specific communicative purposes: Implementing strategies in order to produce written texts about general topics.
  23. Implementing strategies in order to produce written texts of different fields and with specific communicative purposes: Implementing strategies in order to produce written texts of a certain complexity about personal and general topics of well-known areas.
  24. Implementing strategies in order to produce written texts of different fields and with specific communicative purposes: Implementing strategies in order to produce a diverse typology of written texts of a certain complexity about general topics of well-known areas.
  25. Producing written texts that are appropriate to their context and possess linguistic correctness: Producing basic written expressions related to the immediate environment with linguistic correctness.
  26. Producing written texts that are appropriate to their context and possess linguistic correctness: Producing really short and simple texts about topics related to the immediate environment with linguistic correctness.
  27. Producing written texts that are appropriate to their context and possess linguistic correctness: Producing written texts about general topics that are appropriate to their context.
  28. Producing written texts that are appropriate to their context and possess linguistic correctness: Producing written texts of a certain complexity about personal and general topics from well-known areas and with specific communicative purposes, following standard modes of discourse.
  29. Producing written texts that are appropriate to their context and possess linguistic correctness: Producing a diverse typology of written texts about general topics of well-known areas with specific communicative purposes and following standard modes of discourse.
  30. Producing written texts from different fields and with specific communicative purposes: Producing simple academic texts, following standard models of discourse.
  31. Solving interferences between the working languages: Solving interferences from the language combination with a certain degree of control.

Contents

According to their typology, the contents can be grouped as follows:

Phonological and graphic contents:

  • Pronunciation and distinction of the phonemes, syllables, and tones of Standard Chinese
  • The Pinyin transcription system and its spelling conventions
  • Basic principles of writing: identification of the structure of characters, decomposition into their different components (radicals, semantic and phonetic components), stroke order, number and types of strokes, and familiarisation with the most frequent phonetic and semantic components
  • Recognition and handwritten and digital writing of approximately 250 frequently used Chinese characters
  • Simplified orthography (recognition and production) and traditional orthography (recognition)

Communicative and sociocultural contents:

Command of the basic vocabulary and grammatical structures needed to:

  • Greet people
  • Introduce oneself or introduce other people
  • Ask for and give basic personal information
  • Describe people and family units
  • Ask for and give information about, and describe, routines, interests, and hobbies

Learning activities and methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Listening and speaking exercises and correction of exercises 38 1.52
Calligraphy, study of characters and vocabulary, preparation and review of texts and new grammar points, correction of exercises, self-assessment 130 5.2
Activities involving the four basic skills (reading, listening, writing and speaking), grammar points, vocabulary, translation, revision of previous content, etc. 50 2

The training activities are divided into directed activities, supervised activities, independent work and assessment activities.

During guided activity time (40 hours), the most important contents of each unit will be explained. Time will also be devoted to reading aloud and oral and written comprehension exercises, oral expression exercises, practice of new grammar points and vocabulary, sight translation, review of previously covered material, etc. Finally, this will be the ideal space for clarifying doubts of common interest. Class activities will be varied and of different types (oral and written, individual and group-based) and, in some cases, assessable. Students will be assessed on whether they regularly prepare the assigned tasks and on the extent to which they keep up with the pace of the course.

During supervised activity time, both face-to-face and online (13 hours), students will practise oral comprehension and expression, as well as work on solving exercises.

Independent study work, which will amount to approximately 90 hours, will consist of practising calligraphy, studying characters and vocabulary, preparing and reviewing texts and new grammar points, and completing and self-assessing exercises, mainly through the course website.

Given the type of content and the structure of the course, it is important that students attend class regularly, and it is essential that they work consistently on preparing new material, completing class tasks and reviewing previously covered material. This dedication is assumed in order for students to be able to keep up properly with the pace of the course.

Annotation: within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Assessment

Continuous assessment activities

Title Weight Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Final test 40 % 2 0.08 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31
Midterm test 30 % 2 0.08 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31
Student's portfolio 30 % 3 0.12 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31

Continuous Assessment

Assessment is continuous throughout the subject. Students must demonstrate their progress by completing various assessment activities, which will include the following aspects: pronunciation, writing, oral and written comprehension, oral and written expression, and grammar. The information on assessment, the type of activities and their weighting in the final grade for the course is provided for information purposes only. The teaching staff responsible for the course will specify these details at the beginning of the teaching period.

Review

When the final grade prior to the official record is released, the lecturer will communicate in writing the date and time of the review. The review of the different assessment activities will be agreed between the lecturer and the students.

Reassessment

Students may be eligible for reassessment if they have completed assessment activities whose weighting is equivalent to 66.6% (two thirds) or more of the final grade and have obtained a weighted average grade of 3.5 or higher. When the final grade prior to the official record of the course is released, the lecturer will communicate in writing the reassessment procedure. One reassessment activity may be proposed for each failed or missed activity, or several activities may be grouped into a single reassessment activity. Under no circumstances may reassessment consist of a single final assessment activity equivalent to 100% of the grade. In the case of reassessment, the final grade may under no circumstances be higher than 5.

Consideration as “not assessable”

A student will be assigned a “not assessable” when the assessment evidence submitted by the student is equivalent to a maximum of one quarter of the total grade for the course.

Irregularities in assessment activities

In the event of irregularity (plagiarism, copying, impersonation, etc.) in an assessment activity, the grade for that assessment activity will be 0. If irregularities occur in several assessment activities, the final grade for the course will be 0. Assessment activities in which irregularities have occurred, such as plagiarism, copying or impersonation, are excluded from reassessment.

Use of artificial intelligence

In this course, permission to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies will vary depending on the activity. The permitted and prohibited uses in each case will be detailed in the course presentation. Students must clearly identify which parts have been generated using this technology, specify the tools used and include a critical reflection on how these tools have influenced the process and the final outcome of the activity. Lack of transparency regarding the use of AI in this assessable activity will be considered a breach of academic honesty and may lead to a partial or total penalty in the grade for the activity, or to more serious sanctions in severe cases.

Single assessment

This course provides for single assessment under the terms established in the academic regulations of the UAB and the assessment criteria of the FTI. Students must submit the electronic application within the period established by the faculty and send a copy to the lecturer responsible for the course so that they are informed. The single assessment will take place in person on a single day during week 16 or 17 of the semester. Academic Management will publish the date and time on the faculty website. On the day of the single assessment, the teaching staff will request identification from students, who must present a valid identity document with a recent photograph (student card, DNI/NIE or passport).

The single assessment will include a minimum of three assessment activities of at least two different types, as stipulated in the regulations. These activities will assess the following aspects: pronunciation, writing, oral and written comprehension, oral and written expression, and grammar. The procedures for reviewing grades and for reassessment of the course, where applicable, will be the same as those applied to continuous assessment.

Bibliography

Textbook

  • Ding, Anqi; Chen, Xin; Jin, Lili. 2010. Discover China: Student's Book 1 + Workbook. Oxford: Macmillan Education; Beijing: Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press.

Online resources

Reference materials

  • Álvarez, José Ramón. 2000. La pronunciación del chino hablado (putonghua) para hispanohablantes. Taipei: Lanbridge Press cop.
  • Casas-Tost, Helena; Rovira-Esteva, Sara (Eds.). 2015. Guía de estilo para el uso de palabras de origen chino. Madrid: Adeli. Accés digital en accés obert: https://ddd.uab.cat/record/180644
  • Casas-Tost, H., & Rovira-Esteva, S. (Eds.). 2021. Guia d’estil per al tractament de mots xinesos en català. Generalitat de Catalunya, Departament de Cultura. Format digital en accés obert: https://ddd.uab.cat/record/133473
  • Casas, Helena; Rovira, Sara; Suárez, Anne-Hélène. 2024. Lengua china para traductores: 学中文，做翻译 (Vols. I y II). Bellaterra: Servei de Publicacions de la UAB. (Materials, 188 i 198).Open access digital format: https://publicacions.uab.cat/llibres/lengua-china-para-traductores-volumen-7a-ed
  • Fisac, Taciana. 2024. Claves de la gramática china. Biblioteca de China Contemporánea, 35. Barcelona: Edicions Bellaterra.
  • López Calvo, Francisco; Zhao, Baoyan. 2013. Guía esencial de la lengua china. Madrid: Adeli Ediciones.
  • Martínez-Robles, David. 2007. La lengua china: historia, signo y contexto. Una aproximación sociocultural. Barcelona: Editorial UOC.
  • Rovira-Esteva, Sara. 2010. Lengua y escritura chinas: Mitos y realidades. Barcelona: Edicions Bellaterra.
  • Xu, Zhenghui; Zhou, Minkang. 2008. Gramática china. Materials, 30. Bellaterra: Servei de Publicacions de la UAB.

Dictionaries

  • Zhou, Minkang. 1999. Diccionaris de l’Enciclopèdia. Diccionari Català-Xinès, Xinès-Català. Barcelona: Enciclopèdia Catalana.
  • Zhou, Minkang. 2006. Diccionario del español y el chino. Barcelona: Herder.

Software

There is no specific software used in this course.

Course groups and languages

The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE