pocoanyT azsuaz Bp 119 520 FL 007 523, ayTHoR Berry, Jack; Xideo, agnes Akosua ISLE an Trfroduction to akan. WsTzTVTO" —orthyestern Univ., Swanston, IL1, SPONS AGENCY Office of Raucatiah. (DEEN), Hashiagton, D.C. BORERD 90 BRR2-2060 BOB DATE 75 Ozc-0-72- 2388 342p.7 Accompanying tape recordings aze available from the Language Laboratory, Northvestera University, Evanston, T1linols 60201 25 PRICE AP-S0,83 kc-s18.07 Plus costage CEScaTPTORS © *erican Languages; +2kany Gramear; *Instructional Bateriais; Language Instruction: Letters (Alphabet); Phonology; Pronunciation: #Second Language Learning: Syntax: Dacoesoaly Taught Languages: ¥erns EDENTIFTERS Fat ional Defense Education Act Title ¥Ij NBA Title " ansoRact This introduction to akan is designed to provide the paste structures aod vocabulary that a non-native speaker vould need to use Akan. The text is based on the usante dialect of ‘Akan, and 13 divided into twenty units. gach unit consiats of a conversation given in English and Asante, drills for the classrooa or individual practice, granvar notes, and a list of the vocabulary intraduced in the unit. The conversations are of graded difficulty, 1 sketch of the Akan alphabet and pronunciation precedes the tout. The appendices consist ofs (1) a discussion of the Akan verb in pri (2) 4 discussion of the Akan verb dn secondary anton: notes on conjunctions, an Baglish-iken vocabulary coaple: volune, {CLR} * — Docunants acquired by ERIC include sary informad unpublished * aaterials not available from other sources, ERIC makes every effort + to obtain the best copy available. Nevertheless, itena of aarginal * reproducibility are often encountered and this affects the quality * of the wicrofiche and hardcopy reproductions ERIC aakea available * via the 283c Docusant Neproduction Service [EDES}. 2085 is not * responsible for the quality of the original decunont, Reproductions supplied by EDPS are the best that can he sade from the original. Tithe TL, Gee. bom, DER Contant 6, DeC-0- 72-2389 Bunee No x Bel r SRE TATRODUCT ION 79 AKAN €D119520 Agnes. Akosua A‘éoo 2 Evanston, 1:2iaods 1975 The work herein was performed pursuant to a contract with the U.S. Deparment of Health, Edveation and Wolfara, Office of Ecucation, under the provisioas af che Title Vi, Sectfon 602, ADEA, fn Introduction to akan by sok BERRY and AGNES AKOSUA A100 Northwestern University Evanston, 11 ES pneFace eroduction to Akan was prepared and produced with the support ao of the U. $. Office of Education, Department of Health, Education and Welfare, and under the Nacional Defense et, Title V1, Section 602 Yhe course is based en classroom experience with students at the Universities of London: and Ghana and more recently, a¢ Horthkestern University, as well as with U. 5. Peace Corps Volunteers serving or intending: to serve In Ghana. In its present form, it is designed primarily co provide basic Structures and vocabulary for s|tuations In which a nonvnative speaker aight need to use Akan. The text, for the most part, kas praparad jointly by the two authors, In this task, thay were greatly assisted by earlier publi cations t0 which reference is nade in the bibliography at the end of Chis work, OF tho unpublished work made available to the authors, special mention should o¢ made of an Intraductory Course in Fanta, mE. Welners. aly loaned In manuscrtpc form by Professor Wil At an early stage of preparstion, Dr. Florence Bolphyne of the Department of Linguistics Of the Unlversity of Ghana, acted as a consultant to the project and provided advice ond much useful data. | should Tike also to take hls opportunity to ehank my Friend land colleague, Professor J. H. Aketia of the, University of Ghata who First tried to teach me Akan nearly thirty years ago. | am gracefut for his help then ard over the ensuing years. Mich of che «cance : data presented in this volune X owe to Professor Nkeela and my analysis ts along lines Siese suggested by bin. The tapee ohich accompany the text sere, for the moat pact recorded by Mag Aida and Dr. KoEt Ovua sah. Hr, Joseph Adjaye, ax vell as cukdng many useful suggestions for tepraving che text, also asde capes for use as students? exerciats. ATL the tapes vere prepared in the Language Laburatury of Northwestern Universtey under the supervision Of Me. Barry Wallisy Finslly, vor best cherks are due to Mrs. Patricia Barnes and Hes. Vera Dowd who typed a d1ECleult manuscript and helped 1m aany ays at all stages of the work, InTRQeueT ION The Akan language comprises a number of dialects of which three are in general written use in Ghana at che present thie: Fanta, Asante ‘and Akuapem (Twi). The first two are undoubtedly the most widely spoken oF all Akan dialects but Akuapem, desplte its fener speakers, is still important as the dialect originally chosen to be the basis of the written Tanguage and as the dialect best described In the najor reference works. In large degree the three dialects are inter-intelligible but the Seginner in Akan will do better if he restricts himself as far as Possible to models Fron a single dialect: The present course is based on materials from the speech of one of the authors, HIss Aiduo, who speaks Akan natively In the dialect of Kunase (Kiaabere}. Hr. Owusu-Hensah who fs heard In some conversations with her is of the same social and regional background as Miss Aldeo so that alt the texts provided for the student nay be considered linguistically homogeneous. The texts provided are al in the Asante dialect and are transerbed accordingly. Sone attempt 1s nade throughout the course however, (0 relate individual vocabulary tems te their corresponding vwrtten forms in Akvapeft. In the vocabubaries which are a part of each unity the dictionary (that is the Akugpen} form of each word Is given in parentheses after the Asante when there is a wrltten difference. In deciding the clains of competing spellings in both dfalacts we have for the most part, folloned the Twi Spelling Book’, $0 far as we are aware, our enly departures from standard usage as defined therein have been in the matter of Joarwords From English (itters ne follow English spelt ing in 01) cuies) and in che spelling of the Past Tenge of the verb. The course as a vhole consists of three maln parts. A flese pare introduoes the Yegmmer £0 the more Insortant structures and the basic voeabulary af the Akan fanguage by wor of @ series of conversatlons of graded difficulty, The Akan text. a falely fee English translation with 9 moro literal eranslation In parentheses uhen necdad, eogether wieh brief nates on the less obviows oF nore imortant polats of eranear ‘and meaningyare given for gach conversation, The secofd part of the course provides additional materials for practice in either classroom dritls or private study with the tape recorder. A conversation with ts sccompanying drifls can be thought of as a valt's wark and there are ‘wonty such units in the course. Hot af] units are of equal iength. Sone lnits ~ tha first, for example = are longer than average and will be found 0 require correspondingly more wf the student's time, A balanc tained however by having shorter units at varfous stages of the course to slow tine for revis hy edrlier lessons should this b8 thought to be necessary or desirabte. "tui Neen Morenkore Kyergub ook Bepot, feces, a, d Iu Spattiog Book. Scottish Heston A third part of the course. cansists of detailed references (by altar! and s0 paragraph) to the standard works on Akan by J. Gch provides a source of extra neterials for use at the teacher's discretion as well as nore detailed descriptions of specific festures of vacabulary and structure than are possible or appropriate im the present aanual 4B "s. G. christatler. Digtionary of the Asante and Fanta Language cated Tshi (Tei), 2nd edition, revised and enlarged. fasel 1933. A Gromar of the Asante and Fante Language called TshI [Ghee Tai)” sasel 1875. Republished Gregg Press, Inc. Ridgewood, Neds ALPRANE AUD PROWCLARTON 19