Dr. Darya Hodaei - Promoting Turkish Language

The Caspian Podcast - Oct 25, 2021

If you’ve read her article on Caspian Post you might feel that you already know Dr. Darya Hodaei – a Florida-based Azerbaijani-Turk from Iran who is the brains behind the language website English Azerbaijani [Turkish]. On top of her day job as a pharmacist and the pressures of motherhood, she has written three bi-lingual children’s books to promote the Azerbaijani Turkish language and culture. In this podcast we get to know her a little better and hear more about her passion for her native language.

How a Turk from Iranian Azerbaijan Found New Ways to Give Voice to Her Native Language

Darya Hodaei - The Caspian Post - October 19, 2021

Darya Hodaei and her family. Image: Darya Hodaei

As well as her day job as a Florida pharmacist, Darya Hodaei runs a bilingual social media-based platform called EnglishAzerbaijani [Turkish] that helps promote Azerbaijani Turkish language and culture. Darya was born and raised in Tabriz, the capital of Iran’s East Azerbaijan province. A precocious child who was quickly recognized as having exceptional talents, she did well in school, gained a doctorate of pharmacy degree, and ran a community pharmacy before immigrating to the U.S. in pursuit of better opportunities. She shared her story with the Caspian Post.

Darya Hodaei: After Leaving Iran, I Realized That People Value Their Native Language

Alirza Quluncu, Voice of America, August 18, 2021

Darya Hodaei

Darya Hodaei, a pharmacist from Tabriz who lives in Miami, creates videos and visuals in Turkish and English for children. The content she shares on social media has been warmly received by users.

In an interview with Voice of America, the social media activist explains that she started this activity with the aim of teaching Turkish to children living in Iranian Azerbaijan and in the diaspora, as well as creating content related to language and folklore.