Expert: Ernest Tufft - 5/9/2007

Question
I have been trying to figure out what is the best way to learn Twi.  Do you know of any good programs, resources or schools in the U.S., especially in the Chicagoland area, that may help with this?  I have found very few in my limited searches.  Is Ghana very fluent in English as well?

Thank you and happy living!

Niquenya D. Fulbright
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Answer
Twi, the Ashanti dialect, which is one of the Akan languages, is one of many languages spoken in Ghana, as a result of Ghana absence of a universal language, English remains the language of business and government, and is taught at all grade levels and is the basis for university instruction.  I found the proficiency of reading and writing in English by Ghanians to be low by American or English standards.  There is a wide spread perception among Ghanians is that they speak a British accented form of the language, but in fact whatever resemblance their pronounciation may have to one of the British dialects is superficial and masked by grammar variations and dialect which is unique to the national use of English.  Twi, a tonal language, would likely be a challenge for most English native speakers, due to the fact that English is decidedly not a tonal language.  However, I would recommend flying to Kumasi and starting your inquiry at a university there, as this is where it is spoken and qualified tutors could be hired at very reasonable cost.  Sorry I can't be of more help, but try this link for an overview of the language:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twi