Abstract

Since it was established as a colonial territory in 1682, Louisiana has had a unique history and culture influenced by various waves of imperialism, slavery and immigration. Therefore, it has always existed as a center of diversity, with various cultures and people intermingling there for centuries. Perhaps one of its most distinct and interesting features as an American state has been its Latin influence, namely within the manifold French and French-based dialects that have persisted within the region. However, due to governmental and social repression, the French language in Louisiana is declining in numbers of native speakers, making it an endangered, minority language in the region. The state of Louisiana French is at a critical point; many native speakers of the language have deceased or forgotten it. However, the francophone movement emerges this year with reinvigorated enthusiasm, growth and media presence. According to contacts involved in this movement, interest around learning French has increased significantly. However, as interest increases, so does the need for resources. As is supported in the research of linguist, David Crystal, a language must go beyond the classroom and be utilised in both the public and private sectors. Accessible media about Louisiana French such as books, dissertations, films, music and language classes, should therefore become more available in the near future if revitalization is to be done. In March, the Department of Languages and Literatures, along with the Mass Communications department, produced a documentary film which will be donated to the budding Louisiana French language media channel, Télé-Louisiane, to use in their developing corpus of educational media.

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