French in Louisiana?

Question

I've learned that french(including the cajun dailect) is spoken in the south but only by the elderly why isn't the youth intrested in there culture to learn it themselves i mean i am indian and i cant imagine not knowing hindi and punjabi. So why don't they revive i mean for a will it won't be that usefull but eventually it will come in handy right?

Answer 1

I am from Louisiana and I am half Cajun French and Half Spanish Canary Islander (Isleño) and as for French and Spanish in Louisiana being only spoken by elders and not the youth is because....Well, back in the day, the U. S. government outlawed all languages but english and punished children in schools when they spoke it and jailed people for speaking their native languages. Unlike today where the country encourages people of all races to embrace and speak their native languages ( like spanish on everything, just dial any corporate number and press 2 for spanish). In those days it was punishable to speak their languages. This is why many Whites don't speak another language. We were deprived out of what the "new" immigrants get to hold on to. Quite a shame. I think if we had to endure that, then it should be the same for the rest today. Its only fair.

Answer 2

hindi has over 100 million speakers.. and punjabi is *i think* the 10th or 11th most common language in the world. So ..they are of great use to you i'm sure.

cajun is probably only known by a few 1000 .. if that. It is only spoken in remote areas of louisiana.

Many parents intentionally did not teach their children the Cajun language to encourage English language fluency, in hopes that the children would have a better life in an English-speaking nation... However, many of these same parents are discovering that their grandchildren are researching and trying to learn the language.

I do know some cajun.. but not alot. There is a group trying to preserve the language and teach it to others in schools... but they are very small. I live in an area where no one speaks cajun. Its not like I can take an online course .. or find a college that teaches cajun .. or audio tapes. The language is not common .. and theres no use for it unless you live in an area that speaks cajun.. Theres no way to really learn it.. unless I go way out to find people who speak it .. and tell them to teach me. If i cant use it in my everyday .. then theres no point. I wont be able to practice and memorize it.. and most of all.. I wont be able to use it.

Sad .. but it happens.. languages die .. and new ones form

Answer 3

I am from Louisiana. I am blessed to be a descendant of diverse cultures (American, African, Native American). I speak English, Formal French, French Creole, and Choctaw and I will ensure that my kids speak all and possibly learn other languages. Learning and speaking various languages are excellent networking tools. Especially, doing a time of catastrophe. Example, Hurricane Katrina. There were a few elderly that only spoke french creole; therefore, knowing/speaking the language was beneficial to assisting them.

For me, speaking the various languages depends on the setting. It allows me to adequately communicate with individuals.

Answer 4

They all want to be American & speak the language of the current era.