ZACHARY, La. (Louisiana First) — Louisiana is the only American state where French can be heard frequently, as the language has been part of its culture since the late 1600s. Some people are trying to keep it from dying out in the state, and they're using the digital space to do so.

Joshua Atwell has a makeshift studio in his Zachary home, where he teaches Louisiana French to several hundred people who have subscribed to his services. He promotes it as Cajun French, but he said that is not a completely accurate descriptor.

"The populations that have the highest percentage of French speakers are actually Native Americans," Atwell said.

Atwell teaches the history of this area in those lessons, including the 20th-century push to eliminate French across the state.

"It was a lot of prejudic

See Full Page