Faculty Profile

Dr. David Adu-Amankwah
Lecturer, African Studies and Department of Linguistics
Email: daduaman [AT] indiana.edu

Education:
PhD – Indiana Unviersity - Folklore (African Languages & Linguistics)

Dr. David Adu-Amankwah joined the African Studies Program in August, 2008, as lecturer of Akan after he received his Ph.D. degree (in folklore, with African languages & linguistics) from Indiana University and taught Akan and folklore courses at the University of Florida, Gainesville. In the past fall and spring semesters he taught courses in Akan language, African communication and culture, and Kwaku Ananse as an African folk hero. The papers he presented during the year were: “‘Aseresεm’ or ‘Nsεnkwaa’ or None of the Above: An Ethnographic Contribution to the ‘Terminology Debate’ Regarding an Akan Speech Genre” (presented at a Noon Talk on Tuesday, November 4, 2008); “Language and Language Use in Ghana” (presented to the Language in Africa class of IUB on Wednesday, February 11, 2009); “Akan Traditional Symbols through Textile and Sculpture: Kente, Adinkra, Akyeampoma, and Asεsεdwa” (presented at the first World Language Festival, Indiana University, Bloomington, on Saturday, March 7, 2009); “Enhancing Language Learners’ Understanding of the Target Culture through Video: An Anecdotal Report from the Beginning Akan Classroom” (presented at the 13th ALTA Conference, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, in April, 2009); and “Wikis, Podcasts, YouTubes, and Facebooks: Examples from Akan, Bamana, Kiswahili, and Zulu Teaching and Learning” (presented jointly with Alwiya S. Omar, Betty S. Dlamini, and Abdou S. Yaro at the 13th ALTA Conference, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, in April, 2009).

Dr. Adu-Amankwah’s major interests have been in folklore, language, and culture, and he has done research work on the proverb, royal praise poetry, and joke among the Akan of Ghana. He is the author of Asante-Twi Learners’ Reference Grammar and his publications include “Learning the Target Culture by Using It: An Example from the Twi Classroom,” “Teaching Akan Culture through Twi Proverbs: Experiences in the Classroom at Indiana University,” and “Jokes and Humor.” This fall semester Dr. Adu-Amankwah is teaching Elementary and Advanced Akan as well as Occultism in Africa.

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