Tomayto Tomahto

AAAaand I'm back! I'm back with a banger of an episode and a smashing success of a guest: the fabulous Robin Danzak, a professor of Communication Studies at Emerson College. Join me as she takes us on the journey (pun intended) of her career. We'll talk about language and community, bilingualism, antiracist pedagogy, and so much more. We'll travel to Italy, Florida, and New England; we'll touch on power, identity, storytelling, politics, and the importance of education. Professor Danzak is one of the most passionate and curious people I've ever had the privilege to speak with, so settle in and enjoy the next 30 min. And after you listen, check out the resources below...

April Baker Bell 

Barbara Arfe

Elaine Silliman

Ofelia García 

Francois Grosjean 

What's the relationship between language and power? Why are dialects a gatekeeper? What exactly is sociolinguistics? Join me and Professor Heather Littlefield as we discuss the relationships between language and gender, race, ethnicity, economic opportunities, and power. Any study/paper/TedTalk/article/person she mentioned in the interview is linked below. Special thanks to Molly Herman, Lindsay Villone, Eleza Kort, and, of course, Heather Littlefield. 

Ted talk by John Baugh 

Further work by John Baugh 

Leaders with Lower Voices

Vershawn Young 

"Linguistic prejudice is one of the last widely socially acceptable ways to discriminate"

Bell Hooks on the Language of Power 

How do languages evolve? Why do dialects emerge and then fade? What happens if a language dies out? What does culture have to do with language? In this episode, Professor Luke Gorton answers all these questions and more. So please, sit back, relax, and welcome into your ears...an actual, real, linguist! 

Special thanks to Luke Gorton, Eleza Kort, and Jim Kernohan. 

If you have any questions, please feel free to email Prof Gorton at [email protected]. 

Welcome to episode 4, where my interviewees will answer question three: what sorts of privileges and/or limitations does your accent give you? Join me on this emotional journey as I, along with several fully grown adults, unpack our frustration over the fact that people don't talk about accents and dialects more often. Stay tuned for future episodes where I interview college professors! 

Historic milestone alert: this is the 3rd episode of Tomayto Tomahto. I know most of you must be squealing in excitement at the very thought of this podcast's longevity, and so I'll ask you to kindly pipe down so you can fully appreciate this episode in all its glory. In this tertiary episode, you'll hear from the interviewees as they answer question two: what does your accent mean to you and what does it signify about you? All that, plus three gripping commercials centered around the theme of style and types of clothing. The next 17 minutes will be full of laughter, analytical tension, and questionable audio quality. Enjoy! 

Welcome back to Tomayto Tomahto! For episode two, my interviewees answer question one: How do you define your accent and/or dialect? 

Special thanks to Phil Robson, John Lee, Sarah Jacobs, Kate Hamblet, Mark Connolly, Jeanine Bell, Patrice Jean-Baptiste, and Marisela Funes. 

Welcome to Tomayto Tomahto! In this principal episode, you'll learn about accents and dialects: what they are, how they come to be, and what they communicate about a person. 

Study by Amee Shah at Stockton University

Study by Nicole Holliday at University of Pennsylvania