Why Speaking or Studying Twi Matters (or Doesn’t) to You
- Study Twi Team
- 4 days ago
- 4 min read
Have you ever thought about how speaking Akan Twi shapes your connection to Ghanaian culture? For some of us in the diaspora, the language feels like a bridge that brings us closer to home. For others, our bond with Ghana has grown through history, family stories and community, even without speaking Twi fluently. In this first part of our series, Why Speaking or Studying Twi Matters (or Doesn’t) to You, we chat with Kirsty Abena Sɛwaa Osei-Bempong, a British-Ghanaian journalist and founder of AKADi Magazine with over 20 years of experience. Kirsty opens up about growing up in Britain, learning about her heritage in her own way, and how Twi has played both a small and meaningful role in her cultural journey. Read our conversation below:
How has learning or speaking Twi influenced your connection to Ghanaian culture?
It’s an interesting question because I would say it hasn’t. What has influenced my connection to Ghanaian cultures has been my natural interest in Ghanaian history and cultures, which I have consumed through written texts (mainly written in English) or through conversations with elders, which has been in English. Learning and speaking Twi has played a tiny part in that because my lack of fluency has always been a barrier to accessing more information. Having a foundation in the culture that was not from speaking the language now means that I am able to revisit my culture and increasingly look at it through a Twi/ Asante/Akan lens. This has, no doubt. enhanced my knowledge of my culture.
Was speaking Twi important in your family growing up? Why or why not?
If by this question you mean were we encouraged to speak Twi then the answer is not. So in that sense, it was not important or enforced. For many first-generation Ghanaians that moved to Britain, the emphasis was on getting by; understanding ‘British’ culture and integration. I can only assume that it was not viewed as being as essential as surviving in Britain. But it was a language that was important for me to learn growing up and into adulthood because I associated it with prestige and being an adult. My lack of fluency in the language was also constantly used against me by elders particularly those in Ghana. Speaking Twi was considered to be a badge of honour and a sign of how ‘Ghanaian’ you were. Those of us that could not (through no fault of their own) were ridiculed and viewed as rejectors of our culture.
For someone considering studying Twi, what personal benefit or challenge would you share?
I think for any child raised by Ghanaian parents, embarking on learning Twi or their Mother Tongue, they will never be starting from ground zero. This is not like learning a European language in school where you probably know next to nothing. There is going to be a familiar phrase, intonation, memory attached to words that you learn - making some of that learning process feel innate. I feel that even though my parents never taught me the language or spoke to me consistently in it growing up, I always had some of those words stored in me. So learning the language was - in some respects - an endorsement of what I already knew. Capitalise on that and give yourself grace, particularly if others around you believe your learning should be faster than it is.
And you’ll get the best from the language when you positively engage with it. That is hard to do if you have little confidence or have faced ridicule for your accent, pronunciation or grammar. But keep going. Not for them but for you because you are entitled to know this language - it is YOUR heritage.
About Kirsty Abena Sɛwaa Osei-Bempong
Kirsty Abena Sɛwaa Osei-Bempong is a British-Ghanaian journalist with over 20 years of experience. She founded AKADi Magazine in 2019 to inform, inspire and illuminate the achievements of Ghanaians in the Diaspora and the Motherland. The publication was established as a digital quarterly magazine and has since evolved into a monthly podcast. Akadi means source of light in the Ewe language but also means to ‘mark something’ in Ga, and in Twi means to ‘add seasoning’ - to enhance a dish. Kirsty’s work is featured in Graphic Ghana, UK’s Voice Newspaper, and Songlines and online platforms including GhanaWeb, Modern Ghana and 44 Words.art. Her work is cited in the Routledge academic journal Gold Coast (2015) and Danish economies of colonial guilt and in GAFICS Series on Outstanding Ghanaians Volume 1. Her work has inspired the launch of My Soho Times , the novel Corpo Seco and has contributed to an exhibition in Germany.
This is just the beginning of our series on why speaking or studying Twi matters (or doesn’t) to different people in the Ghanaian diaspora. Stay tuned for the next part, where we’ll hear more unique perspectives and personal stories. If you’d like to join the conversation and feature in our blog, we’d love to hear from you. Get in touch and share your experience with us.
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