How many people speak Cajun French in La (New Orleans, Shreveport: school, living)

[Bayoukid]

It is dying out, that is for sure. Back in the 70's and 80's, French was taught in most schools. There were only a small percent of Louisianaians that spoke French and that was around the Gulf Coast area, below HWY 10. I live in North Louisiana and it is a whole different world up here. However, I will say that most of all the cajuns I have met have been wonderful people and consider them family.

[SBCmetroguy]

Originally Posted by Bayoukid

It is dying out, that is for sure. Back in the 70's and 80's, French was taught in most schools. There were only a small percent of Louisianaians that spoke French and that was around the Gulf Coast area, below HWY 10. I live in North Louisiana and it is a whole different world up here. However, I will say that most of all the cajuns I have met have been wonderful people and consider them family.

I do recall learning French in elementary school in the early 80s... and they don't do that now.

[Bayoukid]

Now it's mainly spanish and so it should be with all the immigrants moving here to work for Timber Companies and Chicken Plants and such. Sounds like I was a few years ahead of you in school as I was in elementary during the mid to late 70's. I graduated from Minden High, not far from S'port.

[SBCmetroguy]

Originally Posted by Bayoukid

Now it's mainly spanish and so it should be with all the immigrants moving here to work for Timber Companies and Chicken Plants and such. Sounds like I was a few years ahead of you in school as I was in elementary during the mid to late 70's. I graduated from Minden High, not far from S'port.

Cool. I graduated from Airline in Bossier. Live in Haughton now... so Minden is the same distance from my house as Shreveport is, basically.

I'm 27... well, unfortunately 28 in less than a month.

[Anole]

In high school (1970), I took French and I found it odd that the kids from areas where Cajun French was spoken had a hard time. It was then that I learned that the French spoken by the Acadians was not the same as modern French hence the difficulty for the Cajuns! I also remember stories from my parents and grandmother who spoke about the ways they were punished if they spoke French on the school grounds. I also remember my grandmother talking with her friends and speaking in French how bad my brothers and I were. They didn't want to us know what they were talking about. I eventually found out that I had a "hard head" because they used that term a lot.

[Innotech]

They still teach French in Lafayette. I went through at least 4 years worth of it (although I cant speak it fluently). In the acadiana area, it would definitely be wise to learn a bit as sometimes it pops up in everything from radio to local TV (KATC TV 3) to local news and business ads (imagine a car salesman spouting off french. JP Thibodeaux even has a french catchphrase). The Lafayette area overall is pretty much english but many do still know and speak French and are not ashamed of this local culture. Its one of the fun and unique things about living here. Also prevalent in this region is cajun music which is traditionally sung in french and many bands still do to this day.

[hdwell]

Originally Posted by Innotech

They still teach French in Lafayette. I went through at least 4 years worth of it (although I cant speak it fluently). In the acadiana area, it would definitely be wise to learn a bit as sometimes it pops up in everything from radio to local TV (KATC TV 3) to local news and business ads (imagine a car salesman spouting off french. JP Thibodeaux even has a french catchphrase). The Lafayette area overall is pretty much english but many do still know and speak French and are not ashamed of this local culture. Its one of the fun and unique things about living here. Also prevalent in this region is cajun music which is traditionally sung in french and many bands still do to this day.

French is a beautiful tongue, n'est pas?

[pit_crew]

LMAO. I married one from Lafayette. He can speak that like crazy. He and his mom used to talk about me so I had to learn a little. LOL He is in his early 50's however and the younger ones know just enuf to know their parents are givin em hell. BTW hard head is TET DUR maybe not spelled rite. He has taught my little girl to say good morning and good nite and the like, and I can keep up somewhat after 17 yrs.

[Doug Hebert]

My friends,

The problem is that no one has taught our beloved language to the younger generation. It's not being spoken in the home anymore, and that is a crying shame...A sin in my book. My father was from New Iberia and my mother is from France...We always had French in our home and still do to this day, thank God.
My father was fiercely proud of his heritage and was the opposite of ashamed...Yes, he was also whipped in school for speaking French in the '30s, had to write "I will not speak French on the school grounds" hundreds of times over...But he never gave up his heritage! When he got older, he would dare anyone to put down what flows through his veins, and that's what it is going to take if our precious language is going to survive. He carefully taught us the language BECAUSE he was told not to...He knew even then, that no one...NO ONE is going to tell him his heritage and culture is worthless...That he should be ashamed of it....REDICULOUS!! It's got to mean more to you than just a surname, or a type of food that's only been recently popular, don't you see?...You have to go out and learn from the older ones...Get active! Put together a Cajun French meeting group with a knowledgeable French speaker, and meet a day or more per week...Get it going, bring it back, teach it to your children and never let anyone tell you that you should be ashamed of it again!...Tell them to go to hell! Do this before your link to the language is forever lost as the older generation passes on.
Someone posted earlier that Spanish is more prominent in their part of La and that's the way it should be...WTF?? That person is NOT Cajun...Who gives a damn if there are immigrants in your town?!....They're everywhere, and rest assured THEY are not ashamed of their language...But we, the Cajun people, were the FIRST immigrants to our area....My Cajun friends...Don't let it die. You can do it, but it will take effort...Effort that is well worth your time, for you and your children's sake. It's that important...and anyone who claims to be a Cajun and cannot see that, is the farthest thing from being Cajun than anything I can think of. It's up to you....

Doug

[Rainbow Island]

I live in north Louisiana. Not much french up here. Our main language up here is ebonics. What's up dog, what it is, au right cracker, etc.