Twi is a dialect of Akan, the principle language of Ghana. About 9 million people speak Akan, most of whom live in the Ashanti Region. Akan is also spoken in Côte-d’Ivoire. The Ashanti people take great pride in their language, since it reflects not only their culture but also the history of their great nation.
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.
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.