I saw a video on TikTok where a teacher complained about the language barrier in her classroom. Interestingly, she spoke fluent Twi, but the pupils couldn’t understand her. The setting looked like one of the northern towns or villages, because the children spoke Dagbanli—suggesting they might be Dagombas, Mamprusi, or Nanumba. The video has since sparked mixed reactions online.
Now, if you’ve followed me for some time, you’ll know that in the past two years I have often written about why GES should consider language barriers when posting teachers. But the big question is: what do you do when you’re posted to a place where you don’t understand their language—and they don’t understand yours either?
Before I share my story, let me forewarn you: Ghana is far bigger than you think. If you live in the south, you might assume everyone speaks Twi until you begin traveling. The truth is, there are many communities where people have no idea about any Akan language right here in southern Ghana. Likewise, if you live in the northern zone, especially Tamale, you may think everyone speaks Dagbanli or Hausa—until you step outside. I mention these two because they dominate their respective sectors while the Ewe and other languages too are prominent in their zones. But please, let’s not find it strange when others can’t speak our language. It should rather be a uniting factor.
When I was first posted to Afransi, my greatest headache was how to teach literacy. I knew that once the children could read and write, every other subject would be easier. But just two weeks into the classroom, I realized the children understood their L1 (mother tongue) better than English. The challenge, however, was that I couldn’t speak Gomoa (Fantse).
Two more weeks passed, and after failing to find a substitute teacher for my Fantse lessons, I told myself I would learn Fantse and teach it. Thankfully, I had some background in Asante Twi. But the transition was not simple. Remember, I am a typical Dagao (Dagaati) from Wogu in the Upper West, and also a citizen of Atebubu so I speak Bono. Switching to Fantse was no easy ride.
One weekend, I visited EPP Bookshop at Legon and bought some Fantse grammar books. I gave myself a four-week ultimatum to be ready to teach the language. After school each day, I would go home, read the books, and study the stories. Slowly, I started catching up. At the same time, I became close friends with the KG pupils, who couldn’t speak English either. Naturally, they became my best teachers in Gomoa Fantse.
After four weeks, I was ready for my first lesson. That particular class was sharp, so I knew they would catch any mistake I made. But I didn’t let that intimidate me. When I announced that I would be teaching them Fantse, the laughter that followed was something else! Yet, after the lesson, they were genuinely impressed and excited. I mastered that story and read it over and over to understand and pronounce the keywords impeccably so the first lesson was top-notch. Alaaaa, my shiishii was at level 1000! Behold your new Fantse teacher, Sir Don Francis.🤩😍
From then on, I invited my colleague, Madam Regina (who holds a degree in Fantse), to monitor my progress and guide me. Little by little, I improved. Eventually, I even asked Naomi—one of my brightest students from my second class I handled nicknamed Ama Ata Aidoo—to help me with pronunciation. With time, I became fluent. And ndɛ dze ma nya mfasodze pii wɔ adzekyerɛ akwantu no mu. (Don't worry, I'm trying to intimidate people with my Fantse🤣🤩😍)
I even own and read my own Fante Bible now.
So here’s the point: if you’re ever posted to a place where you don’t understand the language, complaining won’t solve anything. Instead, you can turn the situation into an opportunity for growth.
This is especially to the younger teachers. You can do it! 💪
Sir Don Francis, your shege teacher, Gomoa Central District, Afransi.
NB: This is just one of the few ways to help you adjust. It's not a one-size-fits-all solution, please. Not everyone is capable of learning new languages, I understand. This is just an admonishment to those who can. If there's a problem, certainly, there are solutions and this is just one of it. Thank you 🙏
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