DEPARTMENT
OF LINGUISTICS & AFRICAN STUDIES PROGRAM
THE
AFRICAN LANGUAGES PROGRAM - W101/W501 (ELEMENTARY TWI)
FALL
SEMESTER 2007
COURSE
INFORMATION
Course
Sect. Number: 21518 for Undergrads (4Credits) & 22097 for Grads
(3Credits)
Class
Schedules: M/W 9:05A – 9:55A BH 105
COURSE
MATERIALS:
(i) A
Comprehensive Course in Twi by
Dolphyne F.1996 (with tapes)
(ii) Dialogues Prepared by the Instructor
(iii) Twi-English English-Twi Dictionary by Paul Kotey,
1998
WEB
RESOURCES:
(i)
Culture project: http://www.indiana.edu/~twi/
COURSE
DESCRIPTION:
Twi is
one of the dialects of the Akan language in
This
course provides an introduction to the Twi language and culture. The main
objective of this course is to equip students with the spoken knowledge of the
language. In addition students will acquire reading and writing skills. It also
seeks to enable students use the language to achieve the five language
standards: Communication, Cultures, Connections, Comparisons and
Communities.
COURSE
OBJECTIVE:
·
To
help students acquire and build on the four language skills; speaking,
listening, reading and writing.
·
To
acquaint students with the knowledge and understanding of Akan customs and
cultures.
·
To
familiarize students with the structure of the
language.
·
At the
end of the course students are expected to reach the Novice mid
level.
GRADING
POLICY:
·
Attendance
and class participation
10%
·
Written
assignments
20%
·
Quizzes
20%
·
Midterm
Exam
20%
·
Final
Exam
30%
GRADING
SYSTEM
99 –
100 = A+
86 – 89 = B+
77 – 79 = C+
67 – 69 = D+
95 –
98 = A
83 – 85 = B
73 – 76 = C
63 – 66 = D
90 –
94 = A-
80 – 82 = B-
70 – 72 = C-
60 – 62 = D-
Below 60 = F
CLASS
PARTICIPATION:
Attendance
is mandatory and students are expected to have done their assignments for that
day. Students must prepare before class and participate in role plays, drills
and discussions. Three absences and coming late to class will affect class
participation grade. There will be class presentations towards the end of the
semester.
For
cultural reinforcements, students are required to attend and perform at African
cultural festivals on IU campus.
TWI
LANGUAGE TABLE & LAB: BH
106 (Time will be announced in the course of the week)
Every
student is required to attend the Twi language table.. Students have the
opportunity to practice the language through conversations and individual or
group sketches, presentations and watching of movies. Attendance is compulsory.
TUTORIAL
SECTION:
Students
are also required to attend tutorials. This starts on the second week of the
semester. Time and venue will be announced in the course of the
week.
QUIZZES:
There
will be a short quiz on every other Monday of the week beginning on the third
week of the semester.
WRITTEN
ASSIGNMENTS:
Written
assignments will be graded. Some of the assignments will be written in class.
Five of these assignments will count towards 20% of the total
grade.
MIDTERM
EXAM:
The
midterm exam includes an oral proficiency assessment, listening comprehension,
reading comprehension and an essay written from home. The midterm is 20% of the
total grade.
FINAL
EXAM:
This
comprises oral proficiency assessment, reading, listening and a final essay.
This takes 30% of the total grade.
COURSE
OUTLINE
Week
1
– Greetings
& introducing oneself & others
Mon.
Aug. 27:
In
class:
Introductions/course objectives & syllabus
Familiarization with Web Cultural Project
Introduction to basic greetings
Tues.
Aug. 28
In
class:
Greetings continued
Activity - role play & dialogue reading – Dolphyne p.
7
Homework:
Practice
of dialogue for role play on Wednesday
Wed.
Aug 29
In
class:
Review of greetings
Role play & introducing oneself – text prepared by
Instructor
Class written work
Homework:
Written assignment
Thurs.
Aug 30 In
class:
Quick review of previous lesson
Webexercise:
http://www.indiana.edu/~twi/greetings.html
Introducing
others
Homework:
Written assignment
Week
2
– Taking
leave of others
(Grammar
points:pronouns) – Dolphyne p. 13
Mon.
Sept. 3
In
class:
Quick review of week one lesson
Learning different ways of taking leave-text prepared by
Instructor
Tues.
Sept 4
In
class:
Leave-taking cont’d
Role play & class written work
Homework:
Written assignment
Wed.
Sept 5
In
class:
Quick review of previous lesson
* Web exercise:
http://www.indiana.edu/~twi/byebye.html
Thurs.
Sept 6
In
class:
Conversation period & playing word games, etc
Homework:
Written assignment
Week
three - Naming among the Akans (Days
of the week and Day names)
(Grammar
points: present tense) – Dolphyne p.
85
http://www.indiana.edu/~twi/baby.html
Mon.
Sep. 10
In
class:
Quick review of week two lesson
Short
quiz on first two lessons
Dialogue
on Akan days & names -text prepared by Instructor
Dolphyne
p. 14
Tues.
Sep. 11
In class:
Role play & class exercises
Homework: Written assignment (preparing of
dialogues)
Wed.
Sep. 12
In class: Quick review
Dialogue presentations & class exercises & learning of
song
Homework: Written
assignment
Thurs.
Sep. 13
In class: Video on the Ashanti Kingdom & Akan
culture
Practice of song
Homework:
Written assignment
Week
4
-
Meeting people and making
friends
Mon.
Sep. 17
In class: Quick review of week three
lesson
Dialogue reading & role play -text prepared by
Instructor
Tues.
Sep. 18
In class: Dialogue reading cont’d & class
Exercises
Homework: Written assignment
Wed.
Sep. 19
In class: Quick review, role play & class
exercises
Thurs.
Sep. 20
In class: Conversation period & playing word games,
etc
Homework:
Written assignment
Week 5
– Classroom objects & expressions
(Grammar
points Numbers & question words) Dolphyne p. 129
Mon.
Sep. 24
In class:
Quick review of week four lesson
Short
quiz on lessons 3&4
Introducing classroom
objects& expressions-test
prepared by Instructor
Tues.
Sep. 25
In class: Classroom objects & expressions
cont’d
Identifying
of objects through dialogues & practicing classroom
expressions
Wed.
Sep. 26
In class: Classroom objects & expressions
cont’d
Identifying
of objects through dialogues & practicing classroom
expressions
Homework: Written
assignment
Thurs.
Sep, 27
In class: Review, Role play & class exercises
Homework:
http://www.indiana.edu/~twi/
Week 6
– Family
(Grammar
points: numbers & question words cont’d)
Mon.
Oct, 1
In class: Review
& types of Family - prepared text by Instructor & Dolphyne p.
55
Tues.
Oct, 2
In class: Dialogue reading, role play & class
exercises
Homework: Written assignment
Wed.
Oct, 3
In class: Review, more dialogue reading & oral practice
Thurs.
Oct, 4
In class: Conversation hour & practice of vocabulary
through
games, etc
Homework: Written assignment
Week 7
– Family cont’d
Mon.
Oct. 8
In class: Review, short quiz on Lessons 5&6 & more
on the family
Tues.
Oct. 9
In class: Family activities, work & interests &
class exercises
Homework: Written assignment
Wed.
Oct. 10
In class: Review, role play & class exercises
Thurs.
Oct. 11
In class: Review, role play & class exercises
Homework: http://www.indiana.edu/~twi/
Week
8 - Descriptions &
Age
(Grammar
points: adjectives) Dolphyne p. 107
Mon.
Oct. 15
In class: Describing Oneself, using appropriate
adjectives
Practice with dialogues
Tues.
Oct. 16
In class: More practice with dialogues, class exercises
Homework: Written assignment
Wed.
Oct. 17
In class: Mid term Review
Thurs.
Oct. 18
In class: Mid term exams
Week 9
– Descriptions & Age cont’d
Mon.
Oct. 22
In class: Review, describing
family & class
exercises
Tues.
Oct. 23
In class:
Review, practice with dialogues & class
exercises
Wed.
Oct. 24
In class: Describing friends & practice with dialogues
Thurs.
Oct. 25
In class: Review, Role play & class
exercises
Homework: preparing of dialogues
Week
10 – Daily activities using time
Mon. Oct.
29
In class: Presentation of dialogues prepared
Introducing
daily activities & practice with dialogue – prepared text
Tues.
Oct.
30
In class: Daily activities cont’d & class
exercises
Homework: Written assignment
Wed. Oct. 31
In class: Review, role play & class
exercises
Thurs. Nov. 1
In class: Conversation hour
Homework: http://www.indiana.edu/~twi/
Week
11 – More on Daily activities
Mon.
Nov. 5
In class: Oral quiz on personal activities & class
exercises
Tues.
Nov. 6
In class:
Homework: Written assignment
Wed.
Nov. 7
In class:
Thurs.
Nov. 8
In class: Review & class
exercises
Homework: written assignment
Week
12 – Talking about health using
parts of the Body
(Grammar
points – progressive & negation) Dolphyne p.85, 89
Mon.
Nov. 12
In class: Talking
about one’s health (good)
Practicing with dialogue – prepared text
Tues.
Nov. 13 In
class: Talking about one’s
health cont’d
Practicing with dialogue & role play
Homework: Written assignment
Wed.
Nov. 14
In class: Review
Talking
about one’s health (poor) & practicing with dialogues
Thurs.
Nov. 15
In class: Review
Poor health cont’d & practicing with dialogue
Homework: http://www.indiana.edu/~twi/
Week
13 - Health cont’d
Mon.
Nov. 19
In class: Review, short quiz & class
exercises
Tues.
Nov. 20
In
class:
Role play & class exercises
Wed.
Nov. 21 to Nov. 25 (Thanksgiving
break no class)
Week
14 - Visit to the doctor
Mon.
Nov. 26
In class:
Visit to the doctor
Practicing with dialogue
Tues.
Nov. 27
In class: More practice on dialogues & class
exercises
Homework: preparing of dialogues
Wed.
Nov. 28
In class: Review & skit
Class exercises
Homework: preparing of dialogues
Thurs.
Nov. 29
In class: Conversation hour
Homework: http://www.indiana.edu/~twi/
Week
15 – Review week & Oral Presentation
Mon.
Dec. 3 In
class: Review of lessons 1-4
Oral presentation
Tues.
Dec. 4
In class: Review of lessons 5-7
Wed.
Dec. 5
In class: Review of lessons 8-10
Thurs.
Dec. 6
In class: Review of lessons 11-14
Week
16 December
10 to 14 -
Final
exam week