Asante-Twi: Introducing an Integrated Model

By David Adu-Amankwah

Asante-Twi: Introducing an Integrated Model is primarily meant to help learners perform some basic tasks in the language, guided by repetition, role-play, and acceptable cultural practices. Learners without instructors (i.e., teach-yourself learners) can benefit greatly from Asante-Twi: Introducing an Integrated Model by directing their question

• Language: English
• Publisher: Book Vine Press
• Release date: Sep 9, 2020
• ISBN: 9781952835834

David Adu-Amankwah

David Adu-Amankwah (known by his students as "Uncle Dave") is an Akan, born in Sunyani, Ghana. After receiving his elementary and secondary education at Afrisipa and Kumasi respectively, he attended University of Ghana, where he earned a B.A. (Hons.) degree in linguistics. While serving as teaching and research assistant at the Department of Linguistics after his initial graduation, he studied for his M. Phil. degree. Soon after submitting his dissertation to the University Graduate School, he got a scholarship to study for his Ph.D. at Indiana University, USA. After earning his Ph.D. and M.Ed. degrees, he joined the African Studies Program of Indiana University as faculty. His research interests have been in language, folklore, and culture, with special reference to the Akan ethnic group. He has taught language and culture courses at Indiana University, Bloomington, since 1994. He has also served as examiner/evaluator (English and Akan languages) for local and foreign examination boards with great interest. He has published several journal articles, encyclopedia entries, and books (including Asante-Twi Learners' Reference Grammar (2003), Wo Nso Ka Bi: Basic Akan Grammar and Practice (2013), Understanding your Writing Test in English: Titbits for School Candidates (2015), Tie Ma Mense Wo: Basic Vocabulary for Asante-Twi Learners (2016), and Siesie Wo Ho Sie: Elementary Akan (Asante-Twi) Vocabulary (2018). Uncle Dave's Akan Jokelore: Jokes and Joking in an African Community is coming out soon. He is Esther's husband, and father of Ivy, Kate, Emelia, and Chris Adu-Amankwah.

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DEDICATION

To my hardworking students at University of Florida (UF), Gainesville, & Indiana University (IU), Bloomington!

Contents

Acknowledgements

Introduction: Notational Devices and Abbreviations

SELF-INTRODUCTION (a)—introductory greetings & names

The Akan Alphabet

Digraphs

Preparing to Socialize

Subject Pronouns (Ɔyɛfoɔ Dinnsiananmu)

SELF-INTRODUCTION (b)—nationality & language(s) spoken

Simple Negation (using anaa)

Pronouns [Dinnsiananmu]

Object Pronouns [Ayɛdeε Dinnsiananmu]

Cardinal Numbers (1)

INTRODUCING A FRIEND

Cardinal Numbers (2)

GREETING FORMALITIES—more than one person

Introduction to Parts of the Human Body

Possessive Adjectives [Ɔdedeɛ Nkyerɛkyerɛmu]

SOCIALIZATION—telling one’s age

Cardinal Numbers (3)

PARTS OF THE HUMAN BODY AND USES

Ordinal Numbers

When Parts of the Body Hurt

VISITING AND PLAYING HOST

Simple Negation (Dabi/Daabi/Ngoo Kabea)

DAYS OF THE WEEK

The Progressive (Ensiiɛ Kabea)

DAYS OF THE WEEK & BASIC AKAN NAMING

Days and Associated Names

The Future 1 (Daakye Kabea 1)

IDENTIFICATION—some objects in the classroom

Some Professions and Popular Places

Kinship Terms (see Adu-Amankwah, 2013, pp.104-105)

Color Terms (see Adu-Amankwah, 2013, p.118)

BASIC ‘POST-POSITIONS’ & REQUESTS

‘Zero Pronoun’

READING THE TIME

Months

Telling the Date

GIVING DIRECTIONS

Question Words and Questions

NARRATING IN THE PAST

The Past Simple Tense (Twam Kabea)

INVITING GUESTS TO TABLE

Greeting at Meals & Inviting Visitors to Table

Introduction to the (Present) Perfect Aspect (Ayεasie Kabea)

BARGAINING AT THE MARKET

Introduction to Plural Formation (Dodoɔ Kabea)

ON SUMMARIZING ASANTE-TWI BASIC TENSES AND ASPECTS

Asante-Twi Tenses and Aspects

On Serial Verb Construction (Adeyↄ Ntoasoↄ)

References

Acknowledgements

First of all, I am grateful to all students who learned Akan from me at Indiana University, Bloomington, between 2016 and 2020, mostly through the lessons contained in the current publication. These hard-working individuals include: Molly Keogh (Adwoa), Andrew Stadeker (Kwame), Phillip Cao (Yaw), Dana Vanderburgh (Afia Dana), Rebecca Weber (Akua), Nailah Karim (Abenaa), David Williams (Kwasi), Lydia Porte (Afia Lydia), Rochelle Adjei, Amaiya, Simeone Gyan, Debbie, Michael Kwaakye, Solomon, Imani, Andrew (Kwasi Sapɔn), JaNyia (Afia Ataa), Antonnia (Akosua Anane), Kristina (Akosua Ataa), Brendan (Yaw Piesie), Rachel (Akosua), Samantha (Yaa), Kajjmere (Akua), Kenzie (Abenaa), and Tracy (Afia).

The second batch of thanks goes to (1) Professor Florence Abena Dolphyne, who authored a guide for non-native learners of Asante-Twi in 1996, (2) Professor Antonia Schleicher, Director of National African Language Resource Center (NALRC), who helped support the publication of my Asante-Twi learners’ reference grammar in 2003, and (3) Lincom GmbH (Germany), who published my Wo nso ka bi: Basic Akan grammar and practice in 2013. These useful sources provided me with ideas regarding how to design the present text, which subjects to include and emphasize, and the depth to which the discussion on each should go.

I am also grateful to Prof. John Hanson, Director of the African Studies Program, who was a constant source of encouragement at my work-place.

Esther, my dear wife, once again had enough patience for me as I left her at home sometimes to go hunt for materials to include in the work, and I’m extremely grateful to her. To God be all the glory!

Introduction

Asante-Twi: Introducing an Integrated Model is primarily meant to help learners perform some basic tasks in the language, guided by repetition, role-play, and acceptable cultural practices. Learners without instructors (i.e., teach-yourself learners) can benefit greatly from Asante-Twi: Introducing an Integrated Model by directing their questions to native speakers or sending mail to the author at any time. The author’s major aim is to guide Asante-Twi learners (especially, beginners) through a much more careful study and practice of some aspects of basic Akan.

Asante-Twi: Introducing an Integrated Model assembles a variety of established approaches, with reading, repetition, and experiential reporting as the major tks available to learners. This constitutes a modification of the author’s Wo nso ka bi: Akan basic grammar and practice (2013) and also a follow-up to the Let’s Speak African Language Series introduced by the National African Language Resource Center (NALRC). The publication adds to the resources that Beginning Akan learners require for constant practice to build and strengthen relevant interest and self-confidence. Meanwhile, the author still believes that the communicative language teaching (CLT) approach, which has been emphasized in recent times (see Tudor, 2003; Larsen-Freeman & Anderson, 2011), is unable to capture the full picture single-handedly.

Each of the first sixteen lessons contained in the entire text primarily focuses attention on a specific phenomenon or two or more combined phenomena in the language. A lesson consists of an objective (a Can-Do prompt), selected words and expressions (which the learner is encouraged to master before getting to the dialogues), a dialogue, role-play situation (for practice), notes on grammar and/or culture, and any extra information (to further strengthen the leaner’s understanding). Lesson 17 is titled On Summarizing Asante-Twi Basic Tenses and Aspects and its major goal is to provide a summary of the Asante-Twi tenses and aspects covered in the text, using ten different sentences.

It is strongly recommended that learners do all exercises contained in the text with assistance from their instructors or reliable native speakers. Similarly, the instructor is highly encouraged to prepare specific assignments (in-class or homework) to strengthen the learner’s understanding of the lessons taught. Finally, it must be mentioned that explanations in the notes on grammar discussed in the text are minimal since it is expected that the learner will still learn experientially.

Notational Devices and Abbreviations

The following notational devices and abbreviations have been used in the present work:

( ) or [ ] = enclosed element(s) is/are either optional or may constitute a reference or explanatory notes

+ = and

?? = not too clear

Adv. P. = Adverb Phrase

Det. = Determiner

fem. = feminine gender

lit. = literally

masc. = masculine gender

n.a. = ne ade (‘etc.’)

neg. =