French Language still stong in Louisiana

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“We’re very proud of our Cajun heritage here,” she said. “We’re happy this week to be able to share that culture and heritage with teachers from all over the United States.”

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The French language is still strong in Louisiana after nearly two centuries of trying to erase it from the culture, a professor of French at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette said Thursday. Barry Ancelet, an expert of Cajun French language and culture, was the keynote speaker at the 80th convention of the American Association of Teachers of French held in Baton Rouge this week. Ancelet, speaking in French, told the audience that the survival of the French language in Louisiana is “miraculous.” Ancelet said he learned French at home from his parents. “By the time I was growing up, it was becoming less common for parents to speak French to their children because it was becoming a social liability,” he said in an interview in English before his speech. He said the perception was that teachers would have to “undo all that bad French” children learned at home. About 450 French teachers from across the country are taking part in the conference at the Holiday Inn Select. The rest of the story By EMILY KERN Advocate staff writer