I have started trying to write in my target language when my instructor breaks down a word for me I try to write it in a way that makes sense in my head. It may not be the way the word is actually spelled but it tremendously assists me in my memory of how a word should be pronounced. With time once the pronunciation is locked into my brain I shift and learn the real spelling of the word. Luckily the way words are spelled actually is still a good signal as to how it is pronounced as the 21 letter Twi alphabet is very clear about if a vowel is long or short and if a consonant is hard or soft. The patterns that I have seen start to emerge between words are similar to the ones in English, tracking the subject-verb agreement and the similarities in the rules have helped me understand how European transcription from the Germans the language easier to read for westerners like myself. I am sure if the language was transcribed in its natural element it would be difficult for me to make the adjustment. For simple sentences, I will say there is a lot more content that can be covered in fewer words. Meredi fufuo, medii fufuo, mɛdi fufuo are all saying “I am eating” in the present, past, and future order by simply changing the tone in the last letter. I have never had any relative understanding of nouns, adjectives, and verbs and so the understanding of parts of speech is not something I really pay attention to. Breaking apart language in that manner is more mathematical than poetic so I try to avoid doing so unless it is really necessary. “Ama bɛfa ne ba akɔ sukuu ɔkyena” which means “Ama is going to pick up her child to go to school tomorrow” is an example of some writing I have done.
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