Download or read book Language Shift in the Coastal Marshes of Louisiana written by Kevin James Rottet and published by Peter Lang Incorporated, International Academic Publishers. This book was released on 2001 with total page 328 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Throughout the twentieth century numerous ethnic cultures and languages have been threatened by increasing globalization. French Louisiana, a vibrant and diverse region that has been culturally and linguistically distinct from its neighbors for over two centuries, has not been spared this trend. Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes, which comprise the coastal marsh area, have been described as strongholds of tradition, in which large numbers of people have continued to speak Cajun French. Yet a closer examination reveals that widespread bilingualism is drawing to a close, with very few young people able to speak French at all. This book examines the intergenerational decline of French in the coastal marsh area, including changes taking place in the structure of the language in what appears to be its terminal phase.