A Foundation of Twi: An Indigenous Ghanaian Language

Language learning is how we transcend borders. It creates global affability, and trust among strangers. A part of every culture, languages can help humans communicate across continents. With learning a language, you learn so much more than just its words. Languages help show you how other communities think and perceive. Languages, also, can be a tool. People travel across the world wanting to help others, but forget that English is not a universal language. If a group wants to implement sex education, vocational training, or medical aid in remote areas where they need it most, they must do so in the language of the community they are trying to help. I am going to Ghana this summer to teach a course on entrepreneurship, and to do this, I took lessons on the Akan language, Twi. This language is spoken by almost 20 million people around the globe, and a third of Ghana speaks Twi as a first or second language. Though my 10 Twi classes have ended, I have developed a foundation off of which to build further language competency. This poster aims to share my Twi foundation with you, and to educate the public on the intricacies and beauties that exist within the Twi language.