Tongue Tied

Okay…so I thought by this time I’d be able to teach you a bit of the language…but I am still as terrible at it as day one = /  I’ve always prided myself on being able to speak foreign languages pretty well…as far as being able to pronounce the words with the correct intonations and sounds (now learning languages is another story…that I don’t have a gift for…haha = )…but oh my gosh…I can’t even repeat back the words they tell me.  And when I actually think I’ve finally said a word correctly…they keep repeating it, as in, “Good attempt…but let’s try again.”  In these instances it’s even more frustrating because I feel like I’m repeating back exactly what they’re saying to me!…haha = )

First off…they have sounds in their languages that we don’t…so that’s really tough.  And then their intonations are really different from Hawaiian…even though a lot of the words and names look Hawaiian in spelling.  But the hardest part is that even when I ask for the spelling…I’m still just as confused.  Let me give you a couple of examples.  So…the name of the most common/universal language in Ghana is Twi…pronounced “Chwi” with a bit of an ‘r’ sound in it.  And it’s pronounced with the lips…if that makes any sense.  Anyways…I’m still struggling to learn how to just say the name of the language!  The last name Twum is pronounced “Choom”…sorta.  The name Okyere is “Ocheeree.”  Melinda and I were talking about it…and she said that I hardly move my mouth when I talk…but when they talk they totally move their mouths a lot and like shape their mouths around the words.  Another random, unrelated difference I’ve noticed in the way that we talk is that they speak in a lower register…like even the women.  Charles is so funny!  He has a really deep voice…but when I talk to him he’ll always reply in this super high voice…haha = )  Anyways…basically I’m really bad at pronouncing their words.

But here’s a little lesson with the couple of words and phrases that I have learned = )
Ye fre wo sen (ye fre wo szen): What is your name?
Ye fre me Jaclyn: My name is Jaclyn
Ete sen (e ti sane): How are you?
Meho ye or Eye (me ho ye or e ye): I’m fine
Meda se (me da si): Thank you
Maakyie (maa che): Good morning
Me pa wo kyew (me paw cho): Please

So funny story.  Last week Friday I was sitting on the floor in the office going through this super dusty box of yellow and green cards (we use them to show who’s paid their fees) - there had to be hundreds of them…and I was trying to sort them into neat piles…fun ; ) - when Terry and Seth came in to get their lunch coupons, and asked, “Ete sen?”  So I responded, “I’m dirty.”  Again they asked, “Ete sen?”  We went back and forth a couple of times, to the point that Melinda started to interject and interpret for me.  But I was like, “I know…you’re asking how I am…and I’m saying, ‘I’m dirty.’”  They were all like, “Ohhhhhhh…haha.”  Melinda later explained to me that that wasn’t really a relevant response…haha…oops = )