THIS PROGRAM AND LPB. AND BY ANDERSON DOZIER BLANDA & SALTZMAN OF LAFAYETTE. PRESERVING THE LIVES AND LIVELIHOOD OF OUR CLIENTS WITH MORE THAN 90 YEARS OF COMBINED PLAINTIFF, PERSONAL INJURY EXPERIENCE. AND BY THE FOUNDATION FOR EXCELLENCE IN LOUISIANA PUBLIC BROADCASTING AND VIEWERS LIKE YOU. ♪[ MUSIC ]♪ MY PARENTS WERE PART OF THA LAST GENERATION WHERE THEIR PARENTS DIDN'T SPEAK FRENCH TO THEM AND THEY WANTED TO THE CONTINUATION OF THAT LANGUAGE THAT HAVE BEEN PASSED DOWN FOR GENERATIONS BY THE ACADIANS SO THEY ENROLLED MYSELF AND MY OLDER SISTER AND MY YOUNGER BROTHER ALL IN ALL THREE OF US IN FRENCH IMMERSION. >> WHEN I WAS VERY LITTLE PROBABLY 3 OR 4 MY MOM WOULD TAKE ME TO VEILLÉE AT LIKE ALL OF OUR OLD AUNT'S AND UNCLE'S HOUSES I WOULD GO AND VISIT WITH HER AND WE DRINK OUR COFFEE AND YOU KNOW THAT LITTLE THING AND THEN SHE'D PUT ME UP ON THE COFFEE TABLE AND SHE'D TAUGHT ME A BUNCH OF OLD SONGS TO SING LIKE SAUTE CRAPEAU, J'AI PASSE; ALLONS A LAFAYETTE, AND I DIDN'T REALLY KNOW THE LANGUAGE THEN BUT YOU KNOW I COULD I COULD SING I COULD SING THEM SO THAT WAS PROBABLY THE FIRST TIME I WAS I STARTED DOING THINGS IN FRENCH I DECIDED TO LEARN TO PLAY A SONG THAT I HEARD THAT ZACHARY RICHARD HAD WROTE. I LEARNED THAT SONG AND SLOWLY STARTED TRYING TO LEARN MORE SONGS IN FRENCH AND FOUND THAT IT WAS REALLY DIFFICULT TO REMEMBER WORDS THAT I HAD NO IDEA WHAT THEY MEANT YOU KNOW THEY WERE JUST SOUNDS IN MY HEAD AND SO I REALLY STARTED TRYING TO LEARN FRENCH. WITHOUT THE MUSIC I WOULDN'T HAVE LEARNED FRENCH. >> IT'S A LANGUAGE, A CULTURE, A WAY OF LIFE THAT REMINDS US OF THE PAST. ONCE FORBIDDEN IN SCHOOLS & DISCOURAGED, LOUISIANA'S FRENCH LANGUAGE & CULTURE HAVE STAGED A COMEBACK -- AND TODAY, WE ARE WITNESSING A LOUISIANA FRENCH RENAISSANCE? IN APRIL OF 1682, NEAR THE PRESENT DAY CITY OF NEW ORLEANS THE FRENCH EXPLORER LASALLE ARRIVED AND CLAIMED FOR FRANCE ALL THE LANDS ON THE NORTH AMERICAN CONTINENT DRAINED BY THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. IN HONOR OF HIS KING, LOUIS XIV, LA SALL NAMED THIS ENORMOUS TERRITORY, LA LOUISIANE, THE LAND OF LOUIS THE TASK OF FOLLOWING UP ON LA SALLE'S CLAIM WOULD FALL ON THE SHOULDERS OF TWO BROTHERS, PIERRE LEMOYNE, SIEUR D'IBERVILLE, AND HIS BROTHER, JEAN BAPTISTE LEMOYNE, SIEUR DE BIENVILLE. THESE TWO CANADIAN-BORN FRENCH OFFICERS WOULD ESTABLISH THE COLONY OF LOUISIANA IN 1699 AND, IN 1718, ITS CAPITAL CITY OF NEW ORLEANS FOUR YEARS EARLIER, IN 1714, AN OFFICER UNDER THEIR COMMAND, LOUIS JUCHEREAU DE ST.DENIS, JOURNEYED UP THE RED RIVER AND ESTABLISHED THE FIRST PERMANENT SETTLEMENT IN WHAT IS NOW THE STATE OF LOUISIANA. HE NAMED IT FOR THE TRIBE OF INDIANS IN THE AREA, NATCHITOCHES. THE COLONY OF LOUISIANA WOULD REMAIN A SMALL, BACKWATER OUTPOST UNTIL THE MIDDLE OF THE 18TH CENTURY. AN EVENT, TAKING PLACE ALMOST 2000 MILES AWAY, IN ANOTHER SMALL FRENCH COLONY CALLED ACADIE, WOULD FOREVER CHANGE TH FACE OF LOUISIANA AND REINFORCE THE FRENCH CHARACTER OF THE COL THIS WAS "LE GRAND DERANGEMENT" THE INVASION OF ACADIE BY THE BRITISH FORCES AND NEW ENGLAND MILITIA WITH THE GOAL OF SEIZIN THE LAND AND THE ETHNIC CLEANSING OF ITS INHABITANTS, THE ACADIANS. SCATTERED TO THE WINDS AND EXILED FROM THEIR HOMELAND, OVER 3000 OF THESE FR EXILES FOUNDED A NEW ACADIA IN AND, AS THE 18TH CENTURY GAVE WAY TO THE 19TH, SEVERAL THOUSAND MORE FRENCH-SPEAKERS WOULD FIND A HOME IN LOUISIANA. THESE WERE THE INHABITANTS OF THE FRENCH CARIBBEAN COLONY OF ST. DOMINGUE WHERE A SUCCESSFUL SLAVE REVOLT OVERTHREW FRENCH AUTHORITIES AND ESTABLISHED THE REPUBLIC OF HAITI. MOST OF THOSE UNABLE OR UNWILLING TO LIVE IN THE NEW REPUBLIC ESCAPE TO LOUISIANA. AS DESCENDANTS OF ALL OF THESE FRENCH-SPEAKING PIONEERS, THE PEOPLE OF LOUISIANA HAVE A PRIDE IN THEIR ANCESTRY AND THEIR FRENCH HERITAGE LANGUAGE. >> THE FIRST EUROPEANS WHO LIVED HERE WERE FRENCH, SPOKE FRENCH WROTE IN F THE FRENCH WERE HERE A CENTURY BEFORE THERE WAS A UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. >> WITH THE PURCHASE OF THE LOUISIANA TERRITORY IN 1803 AND ULTIMATE STATEHOOD IN 1812, LOUISIANANS HAD TO CONTEND WITH THE DECLINE OF ITS DISTINCTIVELY FRENCH CULTURE AND LANGUAGE. >> EVENTUALLY THE OVERWHELMING POPULATION, ANGLO-SAXON POPULATION ENGLISH-SPEAKING POPULATION MOVING WEST, IT WAS INEVITABLE THAT THE SIZE OF THE OF THE COUNTRY WOULD, WOULD HAV AN IMPACT ON LOUISIANA'S SIZE O THE POPULATION, SIZE OF THE ENGLISH-SPEAKING POPULATION >> THE FRENCH LANGUAGE PERSISTED IN THE 20TH CENTURY AMONG CAJUN AND CREOLES LARGELY OUT OF NEGLECT. BECAUSE THE EDUCATED ELITE IN NO AND THE PLANTATION BELT WHO SPOKE FRENCH ORIGINALLY HAD MADE THE TRANSITION WITH THE CIVIL WAR. THEY SAW THE WRITING ON THE WALL AND SAW THAT THE LANGUAGE OF THE FUTURE WAS ENGL IT WASN'T UNTIL THE BEGINNING O THE 20TH CENTURY THAT SYSTEMATI EFFORTS BEGAN TO BE MADE TO HAU ALL THE REST OF THOSE FRENCH SPEAKING PEOPLE INTO THE SYSTEM ELIMINATING FRENCH LANGUAGE FRO SCHOOLS, RE-WRITING THE CONSTITUTION IN 1921, AND THEN WHOLE SERIES OF COINCIDENTAL THINGS HAPPENED. >> IT WAS A MATTER OF ECONOMIC NECESSITY, UH WE HAD THE BIG FLOOD OF 27 WHICH BROUGHT IN A LOT OF FEDERAL AID ALL OF IT IN ENGLISH. THE OIL BOOM THE OIL INDUSTRY CAME IN VIA TEXAS OKLAHOMA WITH THE ENT WHO ARE ALL ENGLISH SPEAKING AN IF WE IF OUR PEOPLE WANTED TO WORK IN THE THAT INDUSTRY THEY HAD TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK ENGLISH AND READ AND WRITE IN ENGLISH AND SO IT WAS JUST AT THAT THAT ISSUE, THIS GRADUAL AMERICANIZATION OF OUR COUNTRY AND OF OUR STATE. >> WE COULD HAVE PRESERVED FRENCH LANGUAGE AND CULTURE IN ADDITION TO. OF COURSE, NOBODY WOULD'VE ARGUED - NOBODY IN HIS RIGHT MIND WOULD'VE ARGUED AGAINST LEARNING ENGLISH. THAT WASN'T THE BAD IDEA. THE BAD IDEA WAS GETTING RID OF THE FRENCH. AND THERE WAS THIS NOTION THAT THE ONLY WAY TO IMPOSE ENGLISH OR TO INS ENGLISH INTO THE SYSTEM WAS TO GET RID OF WHAT WAS THERE BEFOR THERE'S ALL THESE SUBTLE AND NO SO SUBTLE PRESSURES COMING TO BEAR ON THE FRENCH LANGUAGE IN LA. AND IN THE 20TH CENTURY, B THE 1940'S, BY THE END OF WWII, THE SLIDE, THE SLIDE WAS PRETTY WELL DETERMINED. >> MY FATHER, WHO HAD GONE INTO THE ARMY, CAME BACK AND CALLED HIMSELF, FOR THE FIRST TIME, AN AMERICAN. HE SAID IT IN FRENCH, (FRENCH HERE) - "I LEFT TO FIGHT FOR MY COUNTRY AS A CAJUN. I RETURNED AS AN AMERICAN." IT'S HARD TO OVERESTIMATE THE IMPORTANCE WWI HAD ON THE LANGUAGE. >> IF YOU LOSE A LANGUAGE, YOU GONNA LOSE THE KEYS THAT BROUGHT ABOUT THAT LANGUAGE OVER THE MANY GENERATI THE FACT THE FRENCH LANGUAGE AND THE EXPRESSION OF FRENCH IN THE CULTURE, THE STORIES AND TH SONGS. THE FACT THAT THOSE PERSISTED WELL THRU THE 20TH CENTURY INTO THE VERY EARLY 21S CENTURY, IS ASTONISHING. IT'S ASTONISHING. AND IT PERSISTED IN SPITE OF VERY SYSTEMATIC EFFORTS TO ERADICATE IT. >> IN THE 1960'S EFFORTS CHANGING LOUISIANA'S LINGUISTIC STORY BEGAN TAKING ROOT. FORMER US CONGRESSMAN AND FRENCH SPEAKING CAJUN ACTIVIST, JAMES "JIMMIE" DOMENGEAUX'S PASSION AND PRIDE IN HIS FRENCH HERITAGE LANGUAGE AND CULTURE, LED TO A MOVEMENT SUPPORTING AND DEVELOPING LOUIS FRANCOPHONE COMMUNITIES. >> HE MISSED PUBLIC LIFE A LOT AND HE FOUND IN THAT CODOFIL CHALLENGE A WAY TO GET BACK IN PUBLIC LIFE, VERY DIFFERENT FROM WHAT HE DID PRIOR TO THAT BUT STILL VERY PUBLIC AND HE WAS ABLE TO WORK WITH GOVERNOR MCKEITHEN AND THE STATE LEGISLATURE TO CREATE CODOFIL AS A STATE AGENCY. GRANTED PEOPLE LIKE JUDGE ALLEN BABINEAUX AND DEAN THOMAS ARCENEAUX DID A LOT PRIOR TO JAMES DOMENGEAUX TO CREATE A GAIN AWARENESS FOR THE FRENCH LANGUAGE, FRENCH ACADIAN LANGUAGE AND CULTURE. BUT, JAME DOMENGEAUX WAS THE ONE WHO REALLY WENT TO THE LEGISLATURE AND STARTED CODOFIL WHICH IS AN AMAZING THING IN ITSELF. >> I SAW FOR MYSELF THAT THE FRENCH LANGUAGE TO BE PRESERVED NEEDED IMMEDIATE ATTENTION AND THEN I TRIED TO PRESENT THIS TO GOVERNOR JOHN MCKEITHEN. IF IT HAD NOT BEEN FOR HIM, THIS MOVEMENT NEVER WOULD HAVE STARTED. HE GAVE ME ABSOLUTE COMPLETE BLINDED SUPPORT. I GIV HIM CREDIT FOR IT. THAT'S HOW I ON THE 20TH OF JULY 1968, GOVERNOR JOHN J. MCKEITHEN SIGNED ACT NO. 409 INTO LAW ESTABLISHING THE COUNCIL FOR TH DEVELOPMENT OF FRENCH IN LOUISIANA (CODOFIL). IT CALLED FOR DOING ALL THINGS NECESSARY TO ACCOMPLISH THE DEVELOPMENT AND PRESERVATION OF THE FRENCH LANGUAGE FOR THE CULTURAL, ECONOMIC AND TOURIST BENEFIT OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA. >> MY UNCLE HAD THE POLITICAL CHUTZPAH - THE FINANCIAL MEANS AND THE POLITICAL ACUMEN TO TAKE ON THIS MOVEMENT AND THAT'S WHAT HE DID. WITH THE HELP OF MANY, THE MOVEMENT BEGAN TO TAKE HOLD. >> THAT WAS A MAGICAL MOMENT. JUST 3 YEARS LATER, THE 22 PARISH AREA, DESIGNATED AS ACADIANA WAS NAMED AS A SPECIAL PLACE. YOU WOULD NEVER HAVE THAT HAPPEN TODAY. THEY WOULD CALL THAT ANTI-AMERICAN. AND THEN JUST IN 1974, 3 YEARS AFTER THAT, WE GET OUR OWN FLAG. YOU KNOW HOW FEW PLACES IN AMERICA HAVE THEIR OWN FLAG? WE DO. AND SO YOU SEE THIS, THIS RUSHING TOWARDS THIS RENAISSANCE TAKING PLACE IN THE 70'S. AND IT WAS JUST AN AMAZING THING. >> AS PRESIDENT OF CODOFIL, JIMMY DOMENGEAUX ENCOURAGED A STATEWIDE EFFORT, FRENCH EDUCATION IN PUBLIC SCHO HE BELIEVED THAT LOUISIANA'S HERITAGE LANGUAGE NEEDED SAVING AND THE BEST METHODS WERE THROUGH EDUCATION. AS WITH ANY MOVEMENT, THERE ARE OBSTACLES, OBJECTIONS AND DISCOVERY - CODOFIL'S EFFORTS WERE NO DIFFE THE LANGUAGE WAS A STRUGGLE AT FIRST WITH MR. DOMENGEAUX. H FELT THAT YOU COULD NOT BUILD UPON AN ORAL LANGUAGE TO TEACH IT IN THE SCHOOLS. HE FELT THAT ANY FRENCH THAT WOULD BE TAUGHT IN THE SCHOOL HAD TO BE STANDAR FRENCH OR INTERNATIONAL FRENCH BECAUSE IT WAS WRITTEN, BECAUSE IT WAS STRUCTURED. IT HAD A GRAMMAR ETCETERA. >> STARTING IN 1969-70, CODOFIL RECRUITED TEACHERS FROM FRANCE, CANADA AND BELGIUM. BY 1974, ROUGHLY 200 LOUISIANA SCHOOLS FEATURED FRENCH CLASSES SPONSORED BY COD HE PUT LITERALLY, WELL OVER ONE MILLION DOLLARS OF HIS OWN MONEY INTO THIS MOVEMENT. IT WA GOING TO TAKE THAT. HIS IDEAS WERE TO TRY AND GET THE FRENCH LANGUAGE BACK INTO THE CLASSROOM. AND HE DID IT WITH METHODS THAT WERE NOT ALWAYS ORTHODOX. HE BROUGHT TEACHERS I FROM BELGIUM AND QUEBEC PROVINC AND THEY CAME HERE. •. HE WENT TO GEORGES POMPIDOU, THE PRESIDENT OF FRANCE. AND POMPIDOU SAID: "DOMENGEAUX, WE WILL HELP YOU. IN FRENCH HE SAI THAT "NOUS VOUS AIDERONS." AND HE DID. FRANCE WAS VERY INSTRUMENTAL IN GETTING SOME OF THE FINANCIAL BACKING AND LAYIN THE GROUNDWORK FOR WHAT THE GOALS AND THE MISSION WAS FOR C THERE'S SOME PEOPLE - INCLUDING ME - HAVE SAID FOR A LONG TIME THAT INITIALLY CODOFIL'S OPERATION WAS BACKWARDS. INSTEAD OF FIGURING OUT WHAT WE HAVE AND DEVELOPING ON THAT, RIGHT? THEY WERE IMPORTING TEXTBOOKS FROM OUTSID AND TEACHING THAT. WE TALK ABOUT PRESERVING. SUPPOSEDLY PRESERVING FRENCH IN LA. WELL, YOU PRESERVE WHAT YOU ALREADY HAVE. BUT WHAT WAS HAPPENING, AT LEAST IN THE EARLY GOING WAS WAS NOT PRESERVING, BUT REPLACI I THINK THAT SOME OF THE MOR CONTROVERSIAL SIDES OF JIMMY DOMENGEAUX'S RHETORIC MIGHT HAV EVEN HELPED TO SAVE THE LOCAL FRENCH BECAUSE IF PEOPLE HAD NO GOTTEN SORT OF ANGRY ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT DOMENGEAUX WAS SAYING AT THE TIME ABOUT HI SORT OF STRONG INSISTENCE THAT THE FRENCH BEING TAUGHT, THE PARISIAN IF YOU WILL OR STANDAR FRENCH AND IF THERE'S NOT BEEN REACTION TO THAT WE MIGHT NOT EVEN BE TALKING ABOUT ANY FRENC AT ALL IN LOUISIANA. SO HE RILE PEOPLE UP. THE ATTITUDE THAT HE HAD AT THAT TIME WAS REFLECTIVE OF AN ATTITUDE THAT WAS IN ACAD CIRCLES ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. HE GOT THINGS STARTED IN THE EARLY YEARS WITH THE IDEA OF EXCHANGES OF SENDING YOUNG PEOPLE FROM LOUISIANA TO FRANCE AND THEN HAVING PEOPLE FROM FRANCE COMING TO LOUISIANA. >> WHEN I CAME IN '77, MY FIRST YEAR, THAT WAS REALLY THE ONE THAT WAS MOST EYE OPENING FOR ME. THE FRENCH GOVE CHARTERED THE PLANE FOR US. WE WERE A FULL PLANE OF FRENCH TEACHERS. AND THAT WAS THE SECOND OR THIRD YEAR, WHERE THE WERE VERY MUCH DECIDED THAT, 'THIS WAS IT - ONLY TEACHERS COULD GO.'. WITH MY GROUP AND I THINK THE GROUP BEFORE THAT, YOU HAD TO BE A TEACHER. SO WE GOT HERE AND THE LAST DAY OF OUR PR TRAINING IN BATON ROUGE, THEY ASKED US: "WHERE WE WANTED TO GO?" AND WE WERE A GROUP OF GIRLS THAT HAD ALREADY STARTED BEING FRIENDS, SO WE WERE LOOKING FOR A DISTRICT THAT WE COULD ALL GO TOGETHER AND IBERI PARISH WAS LOOKING FOR 36 TEACHERS. EVERY SINGLE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL HAD AT LEAST ONE FRENCH TEACHER. SOME PEOPLE WOULD TELL US THAT THIS IS A LOSING BATTLE. 'IN THIRTY YEARS, NOBODY IN LOUISIANA WILL SPEAK ANYMORE.' THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE THE RESISTANCE THAT SOME TEACHERS HAD, I THINK THAT IN THE MORE RURAL PARISHES WHERE FRENCH WAS VERY MUCH STIL ALIVE IN THE HOMES. THERE WAS A LOT OF RESENTMENT BECAUSE 'IT'S WASN'T THE SAME FRENCH' AND ALL THAT. BUT IN NEW IBERIA, WHICH WAS REALLY A CITY - FRENCH REALLY WASN'T ALL THAT PRESENT ANYMORE. I THINK THAT OUT OF AL MY STUDENTS AND I TAUGHT 8 OR 9 CLASSES A DAY - SO THAT'S 180 KIDS, ABOUT. I MIGHT HAVE 2 OR THAT SPOKE FRENCH AT HOME. THAT WAS IT. >> THE FIRST THING THAT WE ALL NEEDED TO DO WAS TO FIGU EXACTLY WHAT IS IT THAT WE HAVE AND HOW DO WE USE THAT TO PRESERVE IT AND BUILD ON IT. W EVENTUALLY GOT AROUND TO IT. W EVENTUALLY DID THE WHOLE THING. WE - OVER THE YEARS - CAPTURED THE STORIES AND THE SONGS THRU RECORDINGS AND YOU KNOW, TRANSCRIBED THEM AND STARTING TURNING THEM INTO WRITTEN FORM, WRITTEN LITERATURE. ALL OF THA HAPPENED, ALL OF THAT HAPPENED, BUT IT WAS CHAOTIC. >> IT TOOK A WHILE FOR PEOPLE LIKE AMANDA LAFLEUR, BARRY ANCELET AND THE YOUNG PIONEERS OF THE TIME TO CONVINCE HIM THAT LOUISIANA FRENCH WAS NOT BAD FRENCH. IT HAD TO BE SHOWCASED. WE HAD TO VALUE IT WITH LINGUISTIC AND CULTURE LEVEL. IT TOOK A WHILE. I WOULD SAY TOOK ALMOST 10 YEARS. IT CHANGED WHEN WE STARTED THE ACADIAN MUSIC FESTIVAL WHICH IS CALLED FESTIVAL ACADIENS ET CREOLES. >> BEFORE THAT, THERE WERE NO FESTIVALS. CAJUN MUSICIANS PERFORMED IN HOUSES. AND IT WAS CODOFIL THROUGH THE MUSIC ESTABLISHED IN 1974 THE FIRST TRIBUTE TO CAJUN MUSIC IN BLACKAM COLISEUM WHICH HELD 9,000 PEOPLE AND 12,000 PEOPLE SHOWED UP IN A RAIN STORM AND THAT WAS A TURNING POINT IN THE PRIDE - THE PUBLIC MANIFESTATIO OF PRIDE. CODOFIL SPONSORED THAT EVENT. THAT CREATED THE 1ST FESTIVAL ACADIENS, TODAY, WE'VE ADDED THE CREOLES TO IT. IN 1987 FESTIVAL INTERNATIONALE DE LA LOUISIANE WAS CREATED. AGAIN, FRANCOPHONE BASED, LARGEST IN THE COUNTRY, FREE TO THE PEOPLE, EVERYBODY COME CELE IF SOMEBODY HAD TOLD ME IN 1974 WHEN I FIRST GOT HAULED INTO THIS, WHEN WE DID THE FIRST CONCERT THAT ENDED UP BEING (FESTIVAL ACADIENS), IF SOMEBODY HAD TOLD ME IN 2017 THAT THIS WOULD BE HAPPENING, I MEAN IN MY WILDEST DREAMS I WOULDN'T HAVE THOUGHT THAT. >> I THINK THIS IS SUCH A CORE GROUP OF LOUISIANA PEOPLE TRYING TO MAINTAIN THE FRENCH LANGUAGE, PRESERVE THE TRADITIONAL MUSIC WHICH - YOU KNOW THIS PLACE HAS EVERY KIND OF CAJUN MUSIC, WHIC IS REALLY GREAT AND THEY ENCOURAGE ALL THE YOUNGER PEOPL TO SPEAK FRENCH ON THE STAGE. AND, I THINK THAT ANY ENCOURAGEMENT CAN HELP KEEP THE RICHNESS OF THIS CULTURE GOING IS A GOOD THING. >> I LOVE TO BE ABLE TO EXPRESS THE REAL MUSIC THAT WE DO (AND NOT HAVE TO) TO THE FRENCH SPEAKING PEOPLE HERE AND THE PEOPLE WHOSE CULTURE IT IS - WE ACTUALLY GET TO PLAY FO PEOPLE HERE IN LOUISIANA. I THINK THAT CODOFIL HAS WORKED VERY HARD ON MAKING PEOPLE AWAR THAT FRENCH WAS DISAPPEARING AN I ALSO THINK THEY'VE WORKED VER HARD ON MAKING GETTING CAJUNS T LEARN THE WRITTEN FRENCH, THE SPELLING OF THE WORDS, JUST THE BASIC MOVE TO PRESERVING THE LANGUAGE. IF YOU SPEAK TWO LANGUAGES LIKE BELTON RICHARD SAID YOU KNOW, "YOU GOTTA BE STUDIOS THIS EVENING.I AM BETH COURTNEY, PRESIDENT OF LPB, AND YOU ARE WATCHING A LOUISIANA FRENCH RENAISSANCE. THIS LPB PRODUCTION COMMEMORATESTHE 5OTH ANNIVERSARY OF CODOFIL - THE COUNCIL FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF FRENCH IN LOUISIANA.WE HEAR FROM YOU OUR VIEWERS THAT THE PROGRAMS YOU LOVE MOST ARE THOSE THAT SHOWCASE THE PEOPLE, HISTORY, AND CULTURE OF OUR STATE.AND THIS EVENING, I INVITE YOU TO HELP US PRODUCE MORE PROGRAMS LIKE THIS.YOUR MEMBERSHIP CONTRIBUTION MAKES THIS POSSIBLE.BECOME A MEMBER OF LPB BY SIMPLY CALLING 888-769-5000 OR PLEDGE ONLINE AT LPB DOT ORG.AND IF YOU ARE ALREADY A MEMBER, PLEASE CONSIDER AN ADDITIONAL ONE- TIME DONATION.WE HAVE MANY WONDERFUL THANK YOU GIFTS ESPECIALLY SELECTED FOR YOUR PLEDGE OF SUPPORT DURING THIS BROADCAST.CLAY FOURRIER, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER IS HERE WITH ALL OF THE DETAILS. THE YEARS TO COME YOUNG PEOPLE STARTED TO PLAY THE MUSIC AND MR. DOMENGEAUX THEN REALIZED HOW THE LOUISIANA FRENCH WAS IMPORTANT BECAUSE THE MUSIC, TH LOUISIANA FRENCH THROUGH THE MUSIC IS REALLY WHAT MADE THE DIFFERENCE AT LEAST IN THE BEGINNING AND SO HE ACCEPTED MORE AND MORE THAT WE TEACH THE TEACHERS COMING FROM OTHER COUNTRIES, MOSTLY BELGIUM, FRANCE, AND CANADA, HOW TO USE LOUISIANA FRENCH WORDS AND EXPRESSIONS IN WHAT THEY TAUGH• I WAS LIKE THE FIRST LOUISIANAN TO BE DIRECTOR OF CODOFIL AND SO IT WAS SOMEONE WHO WAS BORN HERE, SOMEONE WHO WAS A FRENCH SPEAKER AND A CAJUN. SO A LOT OF WHAT THE GOA WAS TO INVOLVE CAJUNS, TO GET THE CAJUNS TO BE VERY PROUD ABOUT THE FRENCH THAT THEY SPEAK. THERE WAS COMPLAINT FROM CAJUNS AND SOME APATHY BECAUSE THEY FELT THAT CODOFIL WAS REACHING OUT TO FRANCE. AFTER ALL, MANY OF THE TEACHERS WERE FROM FRANCE OR FROM BELGIUM AND THERE WAS A MISTAKEN IDEA THAT IT WAS REALLY AN ASSOCIATION THAT WAS FOCUSING ON THE FRENCH AND WE REALLY HAD TO CONVINCE CAJUNS THAT CODOFIL WAS CREATED FOR THEM IN ORDER TO SAVE THEIR LANGUAGE. TO SAVE THE FRENCH THAT'S HERE WE WANTED ESPECIALL FOR CAJUNS TO LEARN HOW TO READ WHAT THEY CAN SAY. CAJUNS KNOW LOT OF FRENCH. THEY JUST HAVEN' ALWAYS BEEN VERY CONFIDENT ABOU CAJUN CULTURAL ACTIVIST, EDUCATOR AND GUEYDEN NATIVE RICHARD GUIDRY EARNED A MASTER' DEGREE IN FRENCH EDUCATION, AND TAUGHT FRENCH IN ST. MARTIN PARISH SCHOOLS BEFORE WORKING FOR THE LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION - A ROLE THAT ULTIMATELY LED THE WAY FOR LOUISIANA FRENCH SPEAKING TEACHERS TO INCORPORATE LOUISIANA FRENCH IN THE CLASSRO I THINK WITH THE HIRING OF RICHARD GUIDRY IN A POSITION AS A SUPERVISOR OF FRENCH EDUCATIO WITH THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION WE SEE A TURNING POIN BECAUSE RICHARD WAS ONE OF THOS PEOPLE WHO SAID, "YES, WE CAN USE BOTH STANDARD FRENCH AND OU OWN SPOKEN FRENCH IN THE CLASSROOM TO AN EVENTUAL GOAL WHICH ENRICHES AND ENHANCES BOT OF THOSE." >> RICHARD WAS THE M PASSIONATE PERSON I EVER MET. ESPECIALLY, WHEN IT COMES TO TH CULTURE, THE LANGUAGE AND THE PERSISTENCE OF LOUISIANA FRENCH IN LOUISIANA AND IN THE WORLD - AND THE PLACE OF LOUISIANA FRENCH IN THE WORLD. AND HE REALLY GAVE ME THAT PASSION, THE SENSE THAT THIS WAS SO IMPORTANT - THAT YOU HAD TO FIGHT FOR IT. INSPIRED BY MONTREAL'S FRENC IMMERSION SCHOOLS FOR IMMIGRANTS, CODOFIL CREATED FRENCH IMMERSION PROGRAMS IN TH 80'S STARTING WITH EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH IN 1981 CONTINUING WITH CALCASIEU PARISH IN 1983. IT TURNS OUT THEY ACTUALLY WERE EFFECTIVE, NOT ONLY IN TERMS OF AFFECTING YOUNG PEOPLE WHO WERE CAPABLE OF EXPRESSING NOT ONLY SPEAKING FRENCH, BUT EXPRESSING WHAT THEY HAD TO SAY IN FRENCH ABOUT ANYTHING, ABOUT BUSINESS, OR POLITICS, OR CULTURE OR ANYTHING ELSE. >> IF WE WERE GOING SUSTAIN THIS MOVEMENT WE NEEDED TO HAVE OUR NATIVE LOUISIANA PEOPLE UH, IN THE CLASSROOMS TEACHING FRENCH IN FRENCH IMMERSION. >> NAMED AFTER A SQUADRON OF 200 AMERICAN PILOTS WHO FLEW FOR THE FRENCH DURING WORLD WAR I, A LOUISIANA PROGRAM EMERGED. >> I STARTED THINKING ABOUT THE ESCADRILLE LAFAYETTE AND HAD AN IDEA MAYBE WE CAN HAVE A SIMILAR PROGRAM FOR TEACHERS AND I HIT UPON THE IDEA OF HAVING THE ESCADRILLE LOUISIANE A WAY TO RECRUIT TEACHERS TO UH, GO TO FRANCE AND BECOME IMMERSED IN THE FRENCH CULTURE AND THEN COME BACK AND BECOME TEACHERS UH, I APPROACHED THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT. THEY LIKED THE IDEA THEY GO FOR A YEAR, WORK FOR A YEAR AND FRANCE PAYS THEM A GENEROUS LIVING ALLOWANCE, UH THEY TAKE COURSES AT THE UNIVERSITY THERE WHERE THEY ARE THERE WORKING A PART-TIME FOR FRANCE IN WHERE, THEY TEACH CONVERSATIONAL ENGLISH 12 HOURS THEY EARN THEIR KEEP THEY GET A VERY GENEROUS STIPEND FROM THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT AND THEY RETURN TO LOUISIANA AND THEY HAVE SIGNED A CONTRACT TO COME BACK CONTRACT WITH CODOFIL AND BE FRENCH TEA THE IDEA IS YOU GO THERE YOU HAVE TO SURVIVE AND YOU DO THAT AS A WORKER, AS A STUDENT, AS A PERSON LIVING IN THE COUNTRY I LOVED GETTING TO STUDY MORE. I LIKE THE IDEA OF IMMERSION GETTING TO TEACH LANGUAGE THROUGH A CONTENT SO TEACHING THROUGH MATH THROUGH SCIENCE THROUGH HISTORY. I WAS REALLY INSPIRED BY THEIR TEACHING METHODS AND SO THAT'S HOW I LEARNED HOW TO REALLY TEACH IN THE CONTENT I'M REMINDED EVERYDAY OF HOW INCREDIBLE IT IS I TEACH IN THE LANGUAGE THAT MY GRANDFATHER WAS BEATEN FOR SPEAKING AND THAT'S INCREDIBLE TO ME >> I THINK THE FRENCH IMM PROGRAM WHICH WAS SPONSORED BY CODOFIL IS REALLY THE KEY TO THIS THIS RENAISSANCE IF YOU WILL OF FRENCH LANGUAGE AND FRENCH SPEAKERS IN THE IN THE S SINCE THE 1970'S, SOME 70 TEACHERS FROM FRANCOPHONE COUNTRIES HAVE COME TO OUR STAT EACH YEAR AS PART OF THE CODOFI PROGRAMS. AND TODAY THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 300 OR MORE FRENC TEACHERS IN LOUISIANA AND OF THOSE 175 ARE LOUISIANANS - 25 ARE ESCADRILLE PARTICIPANTS. >> WE HAVE 32 PROGRAMS IN 11 PARISHES RIGHT NOW THAT HAVE A FRENCH IMMERSION PROGRAM•.TODAY WE HAVE CLOSE TO 5,000 STUDENTS IN THESE PROGRAMS. THE PROGRAMS VARY BUT THEY CAN HAVE FROM 60 TO 80% OF THE DAY IN FRENCH. TH CHILDREN ARE TAUGHT MATHEMATICS IN FRENCH. THEY'RE TAUGHT SCIENCE IN FRENCH. THEY'RE TAUGHT SOCIAL STUDIES IN FRENCH AND THEY HAVE THEIR ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS ON THE SIDE, BY THE TIME THEY'RE PROBABLY 10 OR 11 YEARS, THEY'RE FUNCTIONALLY I STARTED TEACHING IN IMMERSION IN '92 WE HAVE FORMER IMMERSION KIDS WHO WANT TO HAVE THEIR CHILDREN IN IT. IT'S A GOOD WAY TO GIVE A NATURAL WAY OF SPEAKING TO THE CHILDREN. THAT THEY ARE GOING TO KEEP UP, THROUGHOUT THEIR LIVES. IT'S SO DIFFERENT FROM LEARNING A SECOND LANGUAGE. IT'S NOT THE SAME THING. LEARNING A SECOND LANGUAGE IN SCHOOL, YOU'RE LEARNING ABOUT THE LANGUAGE AND THEN YOU LEARN A LITTLE BIT OF THE LANGUAGE ITSELF. IN IMMERSION, YOU LEARN THROUGH THE LANGUAGE,YOU GOTTA ESTABLISH AN AUTHENTIC NEED IN THE STUDENT, THAT CHILD GOTTA REALIZE THAT IN ORDER FOR HIM OR HER TO SUCCEED ACADEMICALLY AND SOCIALLY IN THE CLASSROOM, GOTTA LEARN THE WHEN I HEAR FROM THE PRINCIPAL OF A BRAND NEW PROGRA AT MAMOU ELEMENTARY HIGH SCHOOL WHO TELLS ME OF A PARENT WHO CALLS THE PRINCIPAL AND SAYS THEY'RE SO EXCITED BECAUSE THEI CHILD IS COMING HOME SPEAKING I FRENCH TO A GRANDPARENT WHO SEE IN THIS CHILD HIMSELF OR HERSEL WHEN THEY WERE THAT AGE AND WER TOLD NOT TO SPEAK FRENCH ANYMORE. NO FRENCH. NO MORE AS THEY SAY. IT'S JUST, IT'S A VER EXPERIENCE, VERY PROFOUND SO CODOFIL HAD EVERYTHING TO DO WITH THAT. >> WHERE WE ARE NOW IS PROBABLY NOT SO BAD CONSIDERING. IT COULD BE BETTER. IT COULD ALWAYS BE BETTER. THERE OUGHT TO BE 10X, 20X, THE IMMERSION PROGRAMS. AND THE IMMERSION PROGRAMS THAT DO EXIST OUGHT TO BE BIGGER. I MEAN THERE'S A WAITING LINE, THERE'S A WAITING LIST TO GET INTO SOME OF THE IMMERSION PROGRAMS IN LAFAYETTE. WHAT DOES THAT TELL YOU - THAT TELLS YOU THAT THEY NEED TO HAVE MORE CLASSES, MORE TEACHERS. IT WORKS, WE KNOW IT WORKS. IT'S THE ONLY THING THAT WORKS. >> WE'VE HAD CLOSE TO 30,000 STUDENTS GO THROUGH FRENCH IMMERSION AND WHEN YOU WOULD AS THE QUESTION HOW MANY OF THEM ARE ACTUALLY MAKING A LIVING OR ADDING VALUE TO THEIR CAREERS WITH THIS FRENCH. PROBABLY THE ANSWER IS VERY FEW. SO WHAT WE'RE SAYING RIGHT NOW IS WHY NOT CREATE THE INFRASTRUCTURE T ALLOW THEM TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A LEG UP ON THE COMPETITION BECAUSE OF THEIR FRENCH. IT'S TIME TO SAY LOOK THESE CHILDREN IT'S BEAUTIFUL, THEY'RE CUTE. THEY SPEAK FRENCH. ISN'T THAT WONDERFUL BUT THEY'RE ALL DRESSED UP AND NO PLACE TO GO. WE WANT TO GIVE THEM SOMEWHERE TO GO. I THINK CODOFIL'S MESSAG IS LET'S CONNECT THOSE DOTS, LET'S COMPLETE THE ARTICULATION LET'S INVITE OUR CHILDREN NOT ONLY TO COME TO THE TABLE BUT T STAY AT THE TABLE WITH US AND CONTRIBUTE TO THE GENERAL WHEEL OF LOUISIANA'S GOOD FORTUNE. >> I THINK THAT, THE STRUGGLE CONTINUES BUT SUCCESS HAS BEEN REALIZED. AND I THINK THAT, AS TIME GOES ON, THIS NEW GENERATION OF FRENCH SPEAKERS THAT HAVE BEEN THROUGH THE FRENCH IMMERSION AND HAVE A NEW SENSE OF PRIDE IN THEIR LANGUAG AND CULTURE. IT CAN ONLY BRING POSITIVE ATTRACTION FOR US. >> THE GREATEST REALIZATION OF CODOFIL, THE GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT OF CODOFIL WAS THAT TRANSFORMATION IN THE MIND OF THE PEOPLE - THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE SOCIETY OF SOUTH LOUISIANA. NOW WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE LOUISIANA PEOPLE THEMSELVES STAY VERY ATTACHED T THEIR LANGUAGE AND CULTURE. MAJOR SUPPORT... MAJOR SUPPORT FOR A LOUISIA FRENCH RENAISSANCE IS PROVIDED BY DOMENGEAUX WRIGHT ROY & EDWARDS. FOCUSING ON PERSONAL INJURY LAW AND HELPING THE PEOPLE OF LOUISIANA FOR OVER 50 YEARS. AS PART OF THIS PHILOSOPHY, THE FIRM IS PROUD T ENRICH COMMUNITIES BY SUPPORTIN THIS PROGRAM AND LPB. AND BY ANDERSON DOZIER BLANDA & SALTZMAN OF LAFAYETTE. PRESERVING THE LIVES AND LIVELIHOOD OF OUR CLIENTS WITH MORE THAN 90 YEARS OF COMBINED PLAINTIFF, PERSONAL INJURY EXPERIENCE. AND BY THE FOUNDATION FOR EXCELLENCE IN LOUISIANA PUBLIC BROADCASTING AND VIEWERS LIKE YOU. STUDIOS THIS EVENING.I AM BETH COURTNEY, PRESIDENT OF LPB, AND YOU HAVE JUST WATCHED A LOUISIANA FRENCH RENAISSANCE COMMEMORATING THE 5OTH ANNIVERSARY OF CODOFIL - THE COUNCIL FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF FRENCH IN LOUISIANA.IF YOU LOVE WATCHING PROGRAMS THAT TELL THE STORY OF THE PEOPLE OF LOUISIANA, PLEASE HELP US PRODUCE MORE DOCUMENTARIESSUCH AS THIS WITH YOUR PLEDGE OF SUPPORT TODAY.DURING THIS BRIEF INTERMISSION, WE INVITE YOU TO BECOME A MEMBER OF LPB BY MAKING EITHER YOUR ANNUAL PLEDGE OF SUPPORT OR BY BECOMING A SUSTAINING MEMBER WITH A MONTHLY DONATION IN AN AMOUNT OF YOUR CHOOSING.ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS CALL US AT 888-769-5000 OR GO ONLINE AT LPB DOT ORG.CLAY FOURRIER, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER IS HERE WITH THE DETAILS ABOUT OUR THANK YOU GIFTS.CLAY
