Akan/Twi belongs to the Kwa subdivision of the Niger-Congo group of African languages. Over 40% of the Ghanian population speak various dialects of Akan as their mother tongue, with the majority of the remainder speaking it as a second or third language. There are approximately 11 million speakers of Akan/Twi worldwide.
Twi is a cover term for some of the dialects of Akan, but some people equate "Twi" with the Akan language itself.
At IU, Akan/Twi is offered from first-year through third-year levels, with fourth year upon request. It may be used to fulfill the foreign language requirement, African Language Minor, and also may be taken to fulfill the language portion of the certificate in African Studies. Students of Akan may be eligible for the Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) fellowship.
Languages and their courses offered by the African Studies program
