Do you know anyone who speaks fluent Cajun and/or Louisianan-French? Or is it pretty much a dead language now? (New Orleans: movies, extermination)

[texdav]

i nw alot of people who sepak it and even more who can understand it. Like mnay languages cju french was suppressed by parents in earlier years as they saw a disadvatage in not speakig english well .The gerans in Pennsyvannia where my mother and father grewup did the same.my wife family that is cajun alos did.I think perhaps we tend to forget just how important out ancestors beleived it was to be american eve to the ppoint where mnay actaully chnaged their names like my ancestors did from Groff to Grove.

[rcp11889]

As another example of seeing french in louisiana...this past weekend I met random french ppl in the quarter (i know they are not from Louisiana but still I was able to speak french all night). and then in the same night we got a cab and me and my brother were speaking French. as we get out of the cab the driver told us in french that he was cajun and spoke french!

That is about 6 times in 2 weeks that I have heard french or spoke french to someone in New Orleans. And NOLA is supposed to be the place where you would never heard french as opposed to cajun country!

[Gig'em12]

That's pretty awesome. I've been to NOLA several times but never heard any French...possibly bc I never met any locals? Lol

[annie_himself]

Originally Posted by rcp11889

As another example of seeing french in louisiana...this past weekend I met random french ppl in the quarter (i know they are not from Louisiana but still I was able to speak french all night). and then in the same night we got a cab and me and my brother were speaking French. as we get out of the cab the driver told us in french that he was cajun and spoke french!

That is about 6 times in 2 weeks that I have heard french or spoke french to someone in New Orleans. And NOLA is supposed to be the place where you would never heard french as opposed to cajun country!

From my many many visits to the city, I can't recall hearing French at all. Yet I've heard many other languages. Strange eh..

[Huckleberry3911948]

patois varies from parrish to parrish. educated people in louisiana speak parisian french no problem.
as to montreal the difference between parisian and montreal french seems exaggerated.

[rcp11889]

Originally Posted by annie_himself

From my many many visits to the city, I can't recall hearing French at all. Yet I've heard many other languages. Strange eh..

I think if you speak it in the city you are more likely to meet someone who speaks french. It's kind of like how I speak English all the time and if you passed me on the street you would have no idea that I speak French.

Also, me and my brother tend to be on the lookout for it all the time so maybe that's why.

[annie_himself]

Originally Posted by rcp11889

I think if you speak it in the city you are more likely to meet someone who speaks french. It's kind of like how I speak English all the time and if you passed me on the street you would have no idea that I speak French.

Also, me and my brother tend to be on the lookout for it all the time so maybe that's why.

True, although I haven't even heard a group or couple speaking it.

[rcp11889]

My brother heard a group speaking french this morning at CC's coffee uptown.

[c3dw]

Originally Posted by Huckleberry3911948

educated people in louisiana speak parisian french no problem.

Well, that's just silly. There's a ton of educated people in or from Louisiana that don't speak parisian (or other forms) french. Myself being one of them.

[Gig'em12]

I took French when I was in elementary school and then again in high school so I know some of the basics but I'm not fluent, my wife is the same way. Are there places in Lafayette where adults can learn French too?

How hard is it to find someone who knows French around there?

I was reading about CODOFIL and people trying to revive the language for young people. Is it working?

I just think its really cool that people still speak French there, I guess it's stupid but I figured it died out like 100 years ago. Guess I should have paid more attention!