Are you taking a trip to Ghana? Looking to impress a Ghanaian friend? Or are you simply interested in learning a new language?
Regardless of your reason for learning Twi, you’re on the right track.
Twi is a dialect of the Akan language spoken in southern and central Ghana by the Akan people, the largest of the major ethnic groups in Ghana. Twi is the most spoken Akan dialect, with an estimated nine million speakers residing in Ghana’s Ashanti region.
However, despite its importance, it’s not easy to find resources to learn Twi. In fact, as you probably already know, there’s no Duolingo Twi course.
The good news is that you’re not left without options. There are Duolingo alternatives that you can check out when studying Twi.
This article may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. For full information, please see the disclaimer here.
What is Duolingo?
Duolingo doesn’t need an introduction. But if you’ve been hiding under a rock, Duolingo is a language learning platform known for its gamified courses. To date, it has over 575 million total users, with more than 50 million active users per month. So yeah, it’s pretty popular.
Duolingo offers more than 100 courses in 40 languages. It features short, bite-sized lessons and mainly focuses on vocabulary-building. Its main draw is its game-like features such as the daily missions, weekly challenges, and the leaderboard wherein you can rank against other players.
Games aside, Duolingo has been known to make courses for less popular languages like Zulu, Navajo, and Yiddish. Conlangs like Esperanto, Klingon, and High Valyrian are also on Duolingo. So, why is Twi not on Duolingo?
Being a minority language, Twi may not be on Duolingo’s plans. It’s also likely that the complexity of Twi’s phonology and orthography makes teaching it difficult, at least for English speakers.
But because the Duolingo Incubator is no longer live, these are all theories and there’s no official word on when Duolingo will come up with a Twi course, or if it ever will.
My advice? Don’t wait and just go with the below alternatives instead.
The best Duolingo alternatives for learning Twi
Start your Twi learning journey with these resources!
1. Pimsleur
Learning to speak in Twi is not an easy feat, given its complicated phonology. Twi is a tonal language with three different tones that can drastically change the meaning of words even with the same spelling. This is when learning by hearing becomes especially effective.
Enter Pimsleur, an audio-based program that has been around for about 50 years. Here, you get introduced to Twi words and phrases through 30-minute courses voiced by a native speaker. You’ll hear the correct pronunciation and accent, then you’re asked to say the words aloud.
The app combines the time-tested Pimsleur Method with interactive technology such as digital flashcards, quizzes, speed rounds, and hands-free mode. You can learn more about the app with this Pimsleur review. Or try it yourself for free!
Key features:
- A series of 10 30-minute audio lessons with a native Twi speaker
- Reading lessons, digital flashcards, and interactive games
- Additional information about Twi history and culture
2. Learn Akan
The Learn Akan app by Sibyl Systems is an awesome app for learning the language easily and appreciating the Akan culture. It’s simple and easy to use, and it presents both the English and Akan words alongside a playable audio sound of the selected word in Akan.
Learn Akan uses a flashcard format, which is an effective learning way for self-testing purposes. It also has simple quizzes to test what you’ve learned.
Its simple interface makes for a smooth learning experience. Overall, a good app for beginners and intermediate learners.
Key features:
- Beginner-friendly and self-paced lessons
- Flashcards come with audio
- Great for building your Twi vocabulary
3. Akan Twi Guide
Designed by a Ghanaian statistician, Akan Twi Guide is an app that teaches vocabulary, lets you translate words from English to Twi, and teaches pronunciation through its audio feature.
This is probably the closest to a Duolingo alternative for Twi as it features flashcard-type lessons, game-like exercises, and colorful visuals. But what I like most is its unique section on Twi proverbs, which is an integral part of Ghana’s culture.
Accessible on both Android and iOS, this is definitely a must-have if you’re serious about learning Twi.
Key features:
- Flashcard-style and game-like lessons with native speaker audio
- Features a wide range of Twi vocabulary
- The only app that teaches Twi proverbs
Other great resources to learn Twi
Pimsleur, Learn Akan, and Akan Twi Guide are great resources to start learning your journey. But if you’re in it for the long run, you’ll need more than these three. Here are some more recommendations:
italki: Sure, you can self-study any language but it’s hard to beat private coaching if you want to be fluent. And unlike other resources that focus on vocabulary building, this one aims to help you become conversational.
As of writing, there are less than 10 Twi tutors on italki but they all boast experience and high ratings.
Asante Twi-English/English-Asante Twi Dictionary & Phrasebook: This bilingual dictionary is a collection of over 4,000 entries that cover everyday conversations, business terms, travel vocabulary, and more. Also comes with a phonetics guide and grammar info.
LearnAkan.com: An e-learning website dedicated to helping you read, write, and speak Twi, this is a great source of well-structured paid and free courses. The courses come with video lessons (also hosted on its YouTube channel), quizzes, and companion books. Premium users can also earn certificates and join discussion groups.
Learn Akan Twi – An Interactive Twi Video course: From the developer of the Akan Twi Guide app, this Udemy course takes you through the Twi alphabet, basic expressions, pronouns, some business terms, and more.
LearnAkan Conversational Twi Guide: Published by the guys from LearnAkan.com, this guidebook features phrases and sentences used in natural conversation settings. It comes with 78 sections dealing with various situations and topics. Great for learners of all levels!
Adwoa Lee: On this YouTube channel, Adwoa Lee teaches her language and shares tidbits about Ghanaian culture. As she travels a lot, you’ll find videos about other languages too. To save you the trouble, you can go directly to her Twi language playlist.
Conclusion
No Twi on Duolingo? No worries!
As you can see, there are other resources you can turn to. If you’re aiming for fluency, take the time out of your day to focus on learning something new and go over what you’ve learned. Do this every day (and maybe find native speakers to converse with) and you’ll soon master this language!
Duolingo alternatives for learning Twi – Pin it!
