Akan Interpreting Services in Birmingham

Why do we offer Akan Interpreting Services? The reason why is because the Akan are the largest ethnic group in Ghana. Therefore, there is a high percentage of chance for a Ghanaian to speak one of the Akan languages. However – as a reminder – the official language of this country is English.

Qualified and Certified Akan Interpreters

Birmingham Translation Agency (BTA) provides professional and certified interpreters in over 265 languages, including Akan Interpreters. We make sure that our interpreters are native
speakers in order to respect the cultural requirements of the Akan people. BTA also ensures that our interpreters are trained on regular basis so that they can always meet your needs. Our skilled Akan professionals interpret for conferences and meetings in areas such as:

  • Legal
  • Seminars
  • Sporting events
  • Medical
  • Business
  • Pharmaceutical and many other areas.

BTA acknowledges that your personal data and your meetings are important for you and only concerned your life. Therefore we protect our clients by having signed the Data Protection Act 1998 and 2018. Besides, we also ensure that our Akan interpreters are enhanced CRB checked regularly. Through trainings provided by one of the professional interpreters of our managing team, all our interpreters are aware of the impartiality and confidentiality they have to provide to the people they interpret for.

Akan Language

Akan is not only one language. As many languages, it has its own variations. From Akan, three dialects have been created: Asante (the prestige dialect), Akuapem (also called along with Asante “Twi”) and Fante. They are mutual intelligible, which means that despite the fact that there are three different variations of the Akan language, they have such similarities that someone speaking Asante can easily understand someone speaking Fante. However, BTA wants to make sure that no misunderstanding can take place between the interpreter and the person he or she is interpreting for. Therefore, we always provide an interpreter who speaks the same dialect of Akan so anybody will struggle with particular expressions.

Akan People in Birmingham

As the second biggest city in the United Kingdom, Birmingham is a great place for immigrants to find a new home and start a new life. Among all the different ethnicities represented in the metropolitan city, Ghanaians are one important part of Birmingham’s population. As mentioned hereinabove, not all Ghanaians speak English. Therefore, they need help to adapt and to feel integrated. It is the role of the interpreter to be the bridge between the organisations or institutions and the person who struggles with his or her new environment. From doctor appointment to applications, BTA and its professional and certified language specialists will always be by the side of those who need the most.

Etiquette and Customs

Each country has its own customs and traditions. Here are some tips to understand how to greet and speak with a Ghanaian:

Greeting – Eye contact is really important during the greetings. A handshake is also the most common way to greet someone – usually, wait for a woman to extend her hand first.

Traditional greeting – Do not be surprised to see two Ghanaians holding their right hand normally before twisting it and clicking each other’s middle finger. It is the traditional handshake in Ghana. If you have not been initiated to it, you can stick to the normal handshake.

Talking to someone – Ghanaians might use proper formal appellations when they talk to people. It is appropriate to called one’s interlocutor by his or her academic, professional or honorific title followed by his or her surname and wait until invited before calling a person by his or her first name.

Respectful nicknames – As a sign of respect, males over the age of 30 are sometimes called “pah-pah” whereas people tend to call women of the same age “mah-mee”. For people over 50, “nah-nah” is sometimes used.

Business cards – To present or receive a business card, use either both hands or the right one, never the left.

Contact Us

If you need any type of Akan interpreting service, search no further. We would be happy to provide you a free quote and to answer all your enquiries so don’t hesitate and call us now on +44 (0)1212680077 or use our contact form.