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Council for the Development of French in Louisiana (CODOFIL) 
Institution name:
Address: 217 West Main Street
Lafayette, LA 70501
Telephone: (337) 262-5810
Extension:
Fax:
Web address: http://www.codofil.org
 
Name: Joseph Dunn
Title: Executive Director
Address: 217 West Main Street
Lafayette,  LA  70501
Email: jdunn@crt.la.gov
Telephone: (337) 262-5810
Extension:
Fax: (337) 262-5812
Purposes and goals of the program:
Louisiana Legislative Act 409 created CODOFIL in the summer of 1968 to do all things necessary to develop, utilize, and preserve the French language as found in the State of Louisiana for the cultural, economic, and touristic benefit of the state. It consists of a fifty-member board and a chairman named by the governor and approved by the Senate. It is staffed by an executive director, four other full-time employees, and one part-time employee. Since July 1, 2006, CODOFIL has been part of the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism (CRT) under the direction of the Lieutenant Governor. Over the years, CODOFIL has either directly initiated or fundamentally supported most of the efforts undertaken to preserve and promote the French language of Louisiana in its various forms. The reasons for preserving and developing the French language in Louisiana are multiple. It is not only to bring in tourism dollars, nor is it only to enhance the image of Louisiana by providing bilingual citizens in today's global economy. Most importantly, CODOFIL was founded to maintain and enhance the several cultural identities of the people of Louisiana whose common link is the French language in all of its variety. Historically, the French language in Louisiana has been the marker of our cultural originality. Being a state agency, though, CODOFIL has an even broader mission: to provide the opportunity to all school-age children of Louisiana, regardless of their ethnic background, to learn an international language considered by many to be one sign of a well-rounded education and intellectual refinement. Yet language is the thread that holds an ethnic group together, and such has been the role of French for the Cajuns, Creoles, and Francophone Native Americans of Louisiana for nearly three hundred years.
Program origin:
The organization was founded in 1968.
Program funding:
As a state agency, CODOFIL is funded through a direct appropriation from the state legislature. Additional funds are provided through a private foundation, La Fondation Louisiane, and grants from Francophone government partners.
 
Languages/dialects taught:
  • French
    •
    Program type:  Organization-Based
    Average enrollment: 68000
    Total contact hours per week: 2.5
    Times per week classes meet: 5
    When meetings take place:
    Meetings take place during the regular school day, much as a foreign language class would. For the 300 students in French Immersion programs, instruction is in French for at least 60% of the school day.
    Where meetings take place:
    French is taught as part of the K-12 curriculum.
    Parents' or guardians' expectations of the program:
    Parents expect their children to learn the French language and culture of Louisiana.
    Parents' or guardians' involvement in the program:
    Each individual program has a strong parent support group in place.
    Instructors' expectations of the program:
    That students and adults be afforded the possibility to learn and use French.
    Number of instructors in the program
    Full-time instructors: 250
    Part-time instructors:
    Volunteer instructors:
    Languages in which instructors are proficient:
    French and English.
    Educational backgrounds and credentials of instructors
    (e.g., diploma, bachelor's, master's, doctorate, certificate):
    For French as a second language programs, the teachers must be ceritified in K-12. For French Immersion, the teachers must be certified either as elementary or middle-school teachers, depending on the grades they teach.
    Professional development opportunities instructors have:
    Teachers have in-service workshops at least twice a year, as well as several teleconferences over the Internet throughout the year.
    Professional development opportunities instructors need:
    Students' expectations of the program:
    Student background
    First-generation immigrants:
    Second-generation immigrants:
    Third-generation immigrants:
    Children of interethnic marriages:
    Children of interethnic adoption:
    Indigenous students:
    Others:
    Students' countries of origin:
    How the program identifies heritage language speakers:
    The programs are primarily for students who speak English as a first language, but whose families traditionally spoke French in the past. However, the program does not discriminate based on ethnic origin. All Louisiana students, whether they are of French origin or not, are afforded the possibility to learn French within the limits of available local resources.
    Average enrollment: 68000
    Approximate percentage of students who complete the program:
    Approximate percentage of students who continue to study the heritage language after completing the program:
    Possible reasons that students continue to study the heritage language after completing the program:
    Total contact hours per week: 2.5
    Times per week: 5
    Student grouping (e.g., proficiency level, grade, age):
    Students are grouped by grade level
    Language skills taught in the program (e.g., reading, writing, speaking, and listening):
    Listening, reading, writing, and speaking
    Aspects of culture included in the program (e.g., history, literature, traditions):
    Geography, history, festivals, customs, traditions, folktales, arts and crafts, dances, songs, rhymes, social and cultural norms, and cultural appropriateness
    Other content taught in the program:
    Instructional methodologies used in the program:
    French as a second language programs use a content-based methodology to reinforce what is being learned in English.
    Levels of language proficiency reached by the end of the program (e.g., ACTFL proficiency levels, language tasks able to perform):
    In the immersion program, most of the students come out of the program functionally bilingual.
    Textbooks:
    Each school district supervised by CODOFIL uses a different textbook.
    Manuals and workbooks:
    Self-designed materials:
    The program provides locally produced materials to give teachers information about local Louisiana French language and culture.
    Films, videos, and DVDs:
    Music:
    Technology:
    Many classes utilize the Internet to do research and to correspond with students who are in classes in Francophone countries.
    Standardized tests used:
    Other assessments used:
    Weekly quizzes, chapter tests, mid-term tests, final exams, and school- and district-developed tests.
    Connections with local schools or other organizations:
    CODOFIL has connections with schools outside the United States and offers scholarship programs for students to study in France, Canada, and Belgium.
    Credit received from formal education system:
    Types of support received (e.g., financial, time from parents or volunteers):
    CODOFIL is funded through a direct appropriaten from the state legislature. Additional funds are provided through a private foundation, La Fondation Louisiane, and grants from Francophone government partners.
    Additional support desired:
    Challenges faced by the program:
    No Child Left Behind has been a major challenge. In addition, changes to immigration laws have been challenging, because many of our teachers are from overseas.
     
    Comments:
    Ours is a unique program. The values and cultural vehicles available through French are the envy of the United States and indeed of many parts of the world.

    This profile was updated by Hanwool Choe on July 2014