GHLS 111 3 Credit Hours
Ghanaian Language Proficiency Course for Beginners (Twi)
This information is for second semester 2019/2020 academic year
Teacher responsible
Prof. Kofi Agyekum
Availability
This course is available open to all visiting students every semester.
Course Content
This is a language course designed to provide basic communicative competence in oral and written Twi for beginners. It focuses on the structure of the language as well as the culture of the people. The areas covered include: i) oral drills; ii) orthography; iii) written exercises ;iv) translation (from English to Twi and from Twi to English); v) reading and comprehension; vii) conversation and narration (dialogues, greetings, description of day-to-day activities, bargaining, giving directions); viii) grammar (parts of speech, nouns, e.g., verbs, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, particles, determiners; tense, aspect, negation, and questions; and ix) and the culture) culture.
Teaching
2 days weekly: Tuesdays and Thursdays
The Communicative to language teaching and learning approach will be employed. The goal is to help the students to be able to communicate in Twi. The activities involved will include role-plays, language games and dialogues. There will be individual, pair, small group as well as whole class method of teaching. Class discussion will play an important role in the teaching-learning process. Students will be expected to take part in all class activities. Each day’s lesson will be accompanied by an oral practice. To ensure that you practice the use of the language outside the classroom, you may be required to undertake such tasks as visiting the market in organized groups, transacting business in Twi and writing about it, or cooking your favourite Ghanaian dish in a group and writing about how you did it in Twi.
Formative Coursework
Students are expected to attend all classes and participate in class discussions and activities. After the 4th week of lectures, students will be required to keep a journal of their activities in Twi. A total of two journal entries will be expected from students. There will unannounced snap tests and quizzes to check attendance and gauge students’ performance.
Indicative reading
Required Textbook:
Dolphyne, Abena (1996), A Comprehensive Course in Twi (Asante) for Non- Twi Learners. Ghana Universities Press, Ghana.
Recommended:
Asante Twi Language Guide (1973) Bureau of Ghana Languages, Accra.
Denteh, A. C. (1971). Spoken Twi for Non-Twi Beginners.
Course Grading and Evaluation
The final grade will be based on the following:
Class tests and assignments 20%
Journal entries 10%
Final exam 70%
No make-up tests will be given except on medical grounds.
Grading system:
The grading system is as stated on page 52-53 of the Handbook is as follows:
Grade Numerical Marks %
A 80-100 Outstanding
B+ 75-79 Very Good
B 70-74 Good
C+ 65-69 Fairly Good
C 60-64 Average
D+ 55-59 Below Average
D 50-54 Marginal Pass
E 45-49 Unsatisfactory
F 0-44 Fail
Eligibility for Examinations
On this subject, the Handbook for the Bachelor’s degree (Humanities) 2010, page 54 states:
23.1 A student shall attend all such lectures, tutorials, seminars and practicals and undertake other assignments as are approved by the University in addition to those prescribed for the courses for which he/she has registered.
23.2. Each Department shall, with the approval of the Academic Board, determine the requirements for the courses they offer. A student who does not fulfill the requirements for any course shall not be allowed to take the examination for that course.
23.3. A student who is absent for a Cumulative Period of 25% from all lectures, tutorials, practicals and other activities prescribed for any course in any semester shall be deemed to have withdrawn from the course. Such a student shall not be permitted to sit the semester examination.
