Ghana has over fifty different local languages or dialects, but the national language is English, and whether you’re living in Ghana or simply visiting, you can get by very well without using any local language. On the whole, Ghanaians are intelligent, well-educated, and sociable people and almost everyone you meet, especially in a professional capacity, will speak very good English. The language of the workplace and of instruction in schools for children over seven is English. Many television and radio programs are broadcast in English and you will hear English-language music. Signboards, official forms, menus, newspapers, and schoolbooks are all written in English. When making a purchase, the amount is always quoted in English. You can attend English-language church services and other events. Because Ghana has several Francophone neighbors, French is also heard.
Different Ghanaians speak English to different degrees, and, with very few exceptions, Ghanaians always learn one or more local languages before learning English. These different mother tongues naturally express something inherent and idiosyncratic to Ghanaian culture, something which can be lost in translation. Yes, you can get by with English, but you may have to forsake establishing meaningful relations with whole swaths of people, including children, uneducated people, the elderly, some vendors, and families from poor or isolated communities. Strong regional or national English accents, including American, can be difficult for Ghanaians to understand. Foreigners can often become frustrated by language barriers affecting their daily or working lives, even to the extent of leaving their jobs and going home.
Thousands of tourists come to Ghana every year and enjoy a perfect vacation without speaking a word of any Ghanaian language; indeed, foreign business and tourism are at such high levels that it is entirely possible to spend almost all one’s social time in predominantly expat circles. Curiously, some people seem to decide to do just that. Many foreign workers who have been working for some years in Ghana can’t even say “How are you?” in a Ghanaian language. There is no practical need for you to learn a local language, but you will be missing out on a lot if you don’t. Learning a local language shows people respect, and in Ghana even the most faltering attempts are warmly welcomed. There is no reason why anybody who is in Ghana for any length of time should not at least be able to say “Hello” and “Thank you.” At worst, some people may consider it rude if you don’t. Conversely, speaking some of the language can offer you remarkable benefits, and help you to integrate easily into the rich Ghanaian culture and gain a deeper understanding of it. You can learn how to haggle, ask for and understand directions, join in with the common practice of sending children to do things for you, and develop a repertoire of witty remarks for when people in the street shout at white people walking by. On certain occasions, it would be customary to use some vernacular, for example when visiting a chief, speaking at a funeral, or praying before a meal.
With some exceptions, when Ghanaians talk among themselves they tend to use their own language. So you could be sitting in a bar, bus, office, or under a tree drinking palm wine, without a clue what everybody’s talking about. Wouldn’t you like to join in a bit, share the jokes, ask a few questions? And when other people are obviously talking about you, understanding them can stop you from thinking the worst.
It is possible to gain great success with only a few key phrases. You can learn by heart basic phrases such as “My name is …”; “I am from …”; “My job is …”; “Yes, I am / No, I’m not married …”; because that’s what everyone who meets you will ask you. Try to “manage” conversations so you only say what you can. And it’s common even when speaking the vernacular for Ghanaians to use lots of English, so do the same and just pop in the few local words that you do know.
The most useful language to learn is Twi, spoken by well over half the population, and the main local language used in music and films. Twi is the main language in the southern half of the country, where most tourists spend their time. The other big ones are Ga, Ewe, and Hausa. Pidgin English is very widespread among the youth. Listening to Pidgin English, which is basically corrupted English words in an African sentence structure, can give you a good idea of the formation and structure of Ghanaian languages.
Learning some hand gestures and nonverbal language can help you to communicate and ensure you don’t insult someone unintentionally.
Holding out an arm with the palm down, then quickly closing the fingers, means “Come here.” This can be preceded by a loud clap if the person is far away. “Hissing” is another common way of gaining someone’s attention.
Stroking the left palm with the right index finger, or rubbing a thumb and index finger together, is the universal sign meaning “money.”
Pointing at somebody with the thumb, or biting the thumb then flicking it toward the person, is the equivalent of raising the middle finger in the US or the “V” sign in the UK. It is most often seen between irate taxi drivers, and can be accompanied by the very rude “Wo maame!” (“Your mother!”).
Holding a flat hand palm down, then quickly flipping it up, represents asking a question; this is usually used between drivers and potential passengers to mean “Where are you going?.”
Other transport gestures include pointing in the air in the general direction of where you’re going to see if the driver is going in the same direction, and an up-and-down movement of the whole right arm to flag down a vehicle. In Accra, pointing toward the floor and making small circles with the index finger means you are heading toward Nkrumah Circle, Accra’s main transport hub. Listen for the drivers shouting “Circ! Circ! Circ!”
You will rarely need any sign to flag down an Accra taxi driver. You’ll get dozens of them beeping their horns at you and stopping to pick you up when you’re not even going anywhere. Flicking the back of the hand toward somebody (the opposite of “come”) means, obviously, “Go away.”
Sucking the teeth or repeatedly clicking the tongue is a sign of disapproval: a single click of the tongue can mean “Yes.”
Touching your right thumb and fingertips to your lips means “Eat,” and touching the nearside of your right fist to your lips means “Drink.” With palms up, tapping the palm of the left and the back of the right hand together means “I beg you.”
Ghanaians are very tactile and will encroach upon what some Westerners may view as their personal space. Hugging, hand-holding, and close proximity are common between friends and peers, but usually only between members of the same sex. Men will sometimes be seen being flirtatious with a woman, but very rarely vice versa. With chiefs, elders, and seniors at work, body language is much more formal and shows a great deal of deference.
Ghana currently has around half a million landlines, mostly with Ghana Telecom (taken over in 2009 by Vodafone), and around four million mobile phone subscribers with MTN, Tigo, Zain, and Kasapa (meaning “good talking”). Visitors will find it easy to buy a SIM card to use in their own mobile phone, or to buy a phone in Ghana. Pay phones are common, as are girls sitting under big umbrellas on the roadside with phones to rent by the minute. A common and annoying practice in Ghana is “flashing,” which is calling your phone and allowing it to ring only once—a message for you to call them back so they don’t use their credit.
Overseas mail can take around a week, in and out. All towns have their post offices, but it’s almost impossible to buy stamps elsewhere and find a nearby mailbox. Similarly, all collection of post requires a trip to your private post box at the post office. Postcards showing local scenes are for sale around most city post offices.
Packages may be opened on collection and a customs charge demanded, depending upon the value of the contents. It is not unknown for letters and packages (particularly around Christmas) to go missing. If your sender writes something like “Secondhand goods—no value” or “Ladies’ sanitary products” on the package it can help to put off the unscrupulous postal worker. Sending cash through the post is ill-advised.
Internet cafés have sprung up in most towns, but the network can be slow. Laptops and PCs are for sale everywhere and landline or wireless connections are available. But the network can be slow.
Free speech is celebrated in Ghana, and this is reflected in the wide range of media, which is full of strong views, mainly on politics. Investigative reporting, scrutiny into perceived corruption, and giving a voice to public opinion are important roles of the media. Around eighty local or national radio stations are in existence. Peace FM, Happy FM, and Joy FM are just some of the names that reflect Ghana’s outlook on life. Three TV stations—GTV, Metro TV, and TV3—are in competition with a growing number of satellite channels. Any of the numerous newspaper stands will offer the reader a huge selection of broadsheet and tabloid papers, the most popular being the Daily Graphic. Any old newspaper used as toilet paper or to wrap food is known as “graphic.”
Ghana has its share of paradoxes and annoyances, but it remains a wonderful place to live, work, or visit. Its attractions cater to the whole gamut of foreign interests, from tourists simply looking for sunshine, a five-star hotel, a golden beach, and cool beer, to those who prefer a more culturally enlightening village visit, historical tour, or ecotourism experience, and those who are looking to do business in a growing economy. Ghana is rapidly developing an excellent reputation among travelers who are looking for a genuine African experience without fear of crime, hassle, underdevelopment, or lack of facilities.
Despite its various problems, Ghana has seen great progress since becoming the first black African country to gain independence more than fifty years ago. It is a beacon of democracy and stability on the continent. This development is continuing apace, and all the right wheels are in motion in order for it to achieve its goal of becoming a middle-income country with decent education, good health, and jobs for all.
We have seen that it is the Ghanaians themselves who are responsible for making Ghana the gem that it is. They have, with reason, been described as the friendliest people in the world. They are also a proud and patriotic people who want to present the best possible picture of their country to visitors. Ghana has not escaped globalization, or the Westernization of its many citizens living abroad, but traditional cultural values remain a strong influence in the daily lives of Ghanaians, especially where human relations and respect for others are concerned.
Getting beyond the “tourist bubble,” or going the extra mile to get to know the people and their culture, is the best way to gain from your visit to the country and appreciate its qualities. Learning at least a little of a local language will go a very long way to achieving this. Visitors are warmly welcomed and well catered to, and if they demonstrate a little patience and understanding there will be few barriers and frustrations in the way of their enjoyment. Only a tiny minority go away with anything negative to say about the country or its people. In the words of a Ghanaian who was asked to describe his own country: “Ghana is cool. And hot.”
