Ohio University (OU), USA, is now offering undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Asante Twi, a dialect of the Akan language spoken in Ghana.
On the university's website, it states, "Over 40% of the Ghanaian population speak various dialects of Akan, a language featured in literature and often chosen by students interested in conducting research in Ghana or applying for a Fulbright grant to study in Ghana." The Asante Twi program is available to students through the African Studies and Linguistics departments at OU. "The choice of this variety of the Akan language is primarily due to the literary attention given to it in Ghana and the fact that the dialects of the Twi variety (Asante and Akuapem) are mutually intelligible," OU explained. "Twi and Fante (a variety of the Akan language spoken in the western and coastal areas) are also mutually intelligible.
It is, in essence, the most widely spoken language in the country, understood by a majority of the population.
Visitors to Ghana should have no problem communicating with the people if they know English (the official language) and Twi." The university outlined how it plans to teach the West African language, which "belongs to the Kwa subdivision of the Niger-Congo group of African languages." It stated, "OHIO language courses focus on all aspects of the language: speaking, listening, reading, and writing.
