23. Kella Narki Merlain-Moffatt: Language as the Highway to Culture - A Polyglot Dishes

In this episode, we are joined by Kella Narki Merlain-Moffatt, to explore the role that language plays in shaping identity. As a multilingual, transnational kinda person, this is my kind of topic.Kella is the Associate Director of the Africana Center at Tufts (Go Jumbos!). Raised in a multilingual Ghanaian-Haitian household, Kella shares how early exposure to multiple cultures dynamically shaped her life journey. Her research interests center on linguistic accessibility - particularly how the seemingly innocuous default choices that we make about what language to use, and when to use it, has lots of downstream effects. Including some unintended consequences.The discussion challenges the notion that the lingua francas of trade and commerce should rule the day--- at least by default. Neglecting indigenous languages, or dismissing multilingualism, isn't free...And if not free, at what cost? Jump straight into the episode to find out!We hope you enjoy.