From Understanding Twi… to Finally Speaking It
Denzil’s Teach Me Twi Story
How an 8-week Teach Me Twi experience helped one Londoner reconnect with his Ghanaian roots.
Meet Denzil
Akwaaba! My name is Denzil, a degree apprentice at Microsoft. I'm a Ghanaian living in London in the UK.
Growing up in a large Ghanaian family, Twi was always around me. It was spoken regularly at home and at family gatherings. But whenever someone asked:
“Can you speak Twi?”
I didn’t really have an answer.
Like many in the diaspora, Denzil grew up hearing Twi everywhere; but never truly speaking it.
“For the longest time I wanted to learn Twi seriously, but I never found a course I truly trusted.”
Wanting to Learn My Mother Tongue
For a long time, not being able to speak the mother tongue left me with an internal guilt.
This was my mother tongue. My culture.
Yet I couldn’t speak it properly.
Whenever I tried, I know it sounded funny. But my family always encouraged me to keep going, and that encouragement stayed with me.
For the longest time I wanted to learn Twi seriously, but I never found a course I truly trusted.
Until I saw “Teach Me Twi” on TikTok.
Starting The Journey
I joined a small group of 14 strangers from around the world. The UK, US, France, Canada and even the Netherlands.
And above all, I was the youngest person there!
At first, I felt nervous speaking Twi in front of everyone.
But week by week, things started to change.
Finding Confidence
The smaller YBK mid-week sessions helped a lot.
I gained more confidence and familiarity with everyone in my YBK group and overall cohort each Saturday - so the awkwardness faded.
One of the funniest parts of the course was the role-play sessions, especially:
Market Moves
Slang & Culture
Everyone’s Ghanaian side really came out during those moments.
One of my conversations with another student was even featured on the Teach Me Twi Instagram page (see below).
The Learning Experience
To be honest, I really loved each class - they were very easy to grasp and not too intense.
Our tutors, Abigail and Amanda, were incredibly patient while still making sure our pronunciation was correct.
Another thing I really appreciated was that every lesson was recorded and uploaded to the Teach Me Twi Student Hub, so we could revise everything whenever we wanted.
Knowing I’ll still have lifetime access to those resources even after the course ends is a huge relief.
My Advice To Anyone Thinking About Learning Twi
If you have the time, the passion and the willingness to invest in learning Twi…
Go for it.
When you pay for something, you naturally take it more seriously.
The tutors in Ghana are all university students who sacrifice hours of their time each week to help you build your proficiency in Twi. That commitment deserves the same level of dedication from us as students too.
So before you enrol, make sure you have decided within yourself that you’re ready to make the most of the experience and attend as many sessions as you can.
Yes, paying the upfront cost might sting a little at first.
But once you experience the value of what Teach Me Twi offers, you realise it’s completely worth it. For the memories, the cultural connection, and the laughter that comes from finally speaking Twi with confidence.
Start Your Twi Journey
Inspired by Denzil’s story?
The next New Year New Twi experience is open for registration.
✔ Small group classes
✔ Native Ghanaian tutors
✔ Real speaking confidence
