Vu4 Introduction to the Chinese script for Vietnamese studies

Faculty of Arts
Autumn 2020
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 3 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Ondřej Srba, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
prof. RNDr. Václav Blažek, CSc.
Department of Linguistics and Baltic Languages – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Mgr. Ondřej Srba, Ph.D.
Supplier department: Department of Mongolian, Korean and Vietnamese Studies – Asia Studies Centre – Faculty of Arts
Timetable
Tue 14:00–14:50 VP
Prerequisites
undefined (Note: This course is not intended for students of Sinology.)
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
At the end of the lectures students have knowledge of the basic theory and history of the Chinese script and its adaptations on other non-chinese languages, especially in Vietnam. Students can analyze any unknown Chinese character and distinguish its components, detect the radical and the number of strokes, as to be able to use any dictionaries of Chinese. Students undergo practices in writing the basic characters, which they can use in the following classes of the Modern Chinese, Classical Chinese for Vietnamese studies and within the study of the Vietnamese script chữ nôm in the Master program. Students will also use the knowledge of basic Chinese characters to orientate themselves within basic historical terms related to the history of Vietnam. The course Introduction to Chinese script for Vietnamese Studies is a profile core course of the study programme Vietnamese Studies.
Learning outcomes
At the end of the lectures, the student will be able: - briefly describe the development of the Chinese script;
- orientate himself in the historical adaptations of the Chinese script to non-Chinese languages;
- use common Chinese transcriptions (especially Pinyin and the Standard Czech transcription of Chinese) and convert them;
- detect the radical of a character using a dictionary;
- will know about main Chinese dictionaries and dictionaries of chữ nôm Vietnamese script;
- will be able at least to read a basic number of Chinese characters (supposedly 300 characters).
Syllabus
  • 1.-2. A general introduction (typology of Chinese script). An introduction to the transcription systems of Chinese. Traditional 5 stroke types, derivative stroke types, sequence of strokes. General rules for writing characters. The relation of characters and Chinese language. The inner structure of characters (construction types, classification into six categories liushu). 3. A general introduction to the system of radicals and the methods of search in the dictionaries. Alternative ways of arranging characters in the dictionaries. The most important dictionaries. 4.-5. Historical development of the Chinese script: myths about its origin, the oldest monuments (jiaguwen, jinwen), the script in the period of Warring States, period of Han-Qin dynasties (xiaozhuan, lishu, cursive script), xingshu style, a brief introduction to the calligraphic styles. Reforms of the Chinese script. 6.-7. Adaptations of the Chinese script in Korea and Japan. Other scripts created under the influence of the Chinese script (Tangut, Kitan, Jurchen, Zhuang). 8. A theoretical introduction about the role of Chinese in Vietnam and the Vietnamese adaptations of the Chinese characters; explanation of terms (chữ hán, chữ nôm). 9.-12. A short overview of radicals (using the standard set of characters fantizi) and writing exercises of the most widely used characters (with their Chinese and Sino-Vietnamese pronunciations).
Literature
    required literature
  • ZÁDRAPA, Lukáš and Michaela PEJČOCHOVÁ. Čínské písmo. Vydání první. Praha: Academia, 2009, 297 stran. ISBN 9788020017550. info
    recommended literature
  • Transkripce čínštiny. Edited by Hana Třísková. Praha: Česko-čínská společnost, 1999, ix, 133. ISBN 809025151X. info
  • Transkripce čínštiny. Edited by Hana Třísková. Praha: Česko-čínská společnost, 1999, xv, 104. ISBN 809025151X. info
  • VOCHALA, Jaromír & NOVÁK, Miroslav & PUCEK, Vladimír. Úvod do čínského, japonského a korejského písma. 2 díly. Praha: SPN, 1989.
  • KUČERA, Ondřej. Učebnice čínských znaků I. Olomouc: Univerzita Palackého v Olomouci, 2005.
  • Lê Thước (red.). Méthode moderne d'enseignement des caractères chinois. Cours enfantin – Cours préparatoire – Cours élémentaire. La direction de l'instruction publique en Indochine, 1930.
Teaching methods
Lectures combined with seminary exercises
Assessment methods
Written brief tests at the beginning of every lecture - 50 % of correct answers from all brief tests (including tests from missed classes) is needed to pass for final written examination. Then at least 80 % of correct answers from final written examination is needed to pass the course. Note: also at least 75 % of correct answers from all brief tests is enough (= with no required level of results from final written examination) to pass the course.
Language of instruction
Czech
Follow-Up Courses
Further Comments
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2020, Autumn 2021, Autumn 2022, Autumn 2023, Autumn 2024.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2020, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/autumn2020/Vu4