The Center of the Francophonie of the Americas is taking place in Louisiana for the first time
In 2021 Louisiana was home to an estimated 250,000 French speakers, considering the fact just a generation or two ago Louisiana had a million French speakers.
Created in 1968, the Council for the Development of French in Louisiana aimed to promote the preservation of the Cajun French language and culture in Louisiana. For years French was not allowed to be spoken in public schools or public places, but today 5,500 students are enrolled in French immersion across the state according to a release.
CODOFIL, joined by the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and Lafayette Consolidated Government, hosted its first summer institute program of the Center for the Francophonie of the Americas for the first time outside of Canada. Chosen out of 500 applicants, 50 participants from 11 countries came together to exchange perspectives on the evolution of the Francophonie in our societies, our economies, and our education systems, and also to raise awareness of the aspects of the culture specific to Louisiana.
Sustainability and developments of the Francophonie of the Americas are central themes throughout the program which fall under three axes. French as an economic asset in Louisiana is one of the axes.
Matt Mick, commutations director states, "Bilingualism is a economic benefit that is an advantage in particularly any language. Specifically in Louisiana, there is a huge benefit in being able to speak French by putting us in contact with people in all over the world in terms of international relations." According to Eurostat, Trade in goods between France and the U.S. reached $79 billion in 2018, up 2.6 % from 2017.
Research by the Center for the Francophonie of the Americas shows companies that share a common language tend to trade together. The same is true for regions and states. Linguistic affinities in regional, national and international trade languages and cultures are at the heart of the economy and consumer dynamics. French is the fifth most widely spoken language in the world. Francophone countries and member states account for 16 percent of global gross domestic product according to reports.
"We want to build together the francophone culture, people in other countries are not aware that so many people speak French in Louisiana, it is surprising to them which is why we need to create these links," said President Sylvain Lavoise.
The Language Is Alive and Well
"I've never been exposed to the francophone community in the States, which is a lot more alive than I expected or knew of, and to get to see it with the signs in the streets and the people, it's cool to see how integrated it is and practically in this community," said Marqerite Tolgyessi, a participant from Yukon Canada.
Mick mentions more than enough times he's heard the mentions of the French language dying and disagrees by stating, "The presence of the language is still very significant, especially in Lafayette, you hear a lot of people mention my parents spoke French but I never was taught it which leads to the discussion that the French language is dead or dying because it is not being taught in the home anymore."
The history of French in Louisiana has not allowed the vast majority of francophones the opportunity to learn to read and write French. CODOFIL states, In the 1990 census, approximately 250,000 Louisianians responded that French was the language they spoke at home. The 2000 census showed 198,784 Louisiana francophones over the age of 5, including 4,470 who speak Creole French. Programs such as the Centre de la francophonie des Amériques and CODOFIL continue to identify future avenues of research and encourage francophone to produce knowledge that will lay the foundations for the future.
"I didn't grow up speaking French, but my grandparents spoke French and if you lived in Louisiana long enough, you hear that's a lot of people's stories," said Colby LeJune, a Louisiana native. "The main takeaway from this program ultimately exposed me to the togetherness of this movement and how our stories echo one another."
Although many French-speaking communities in the Americas face their own challenges from Acadia to northern Canada, the Caribbean and Latin America, French in the Americas, according to Lavoie French is alive and well.
Visit CODOFIL.org/learn for a catalog containing books, classes, apps, and websites, and to help those on their learning journey.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Sustainability and economic developments of the French Language in Louisiana
