Creole in the Quarter - Introduction to Kouri-Vini 

The class taught by Alex “Hibou” LeBlanc will take place on Saturdays at 11:00AM, running from Saturday June 20 (with a break on July 4) to August 1 at the New Orleans Foundation for Francophone Cultures (602 Toulouse St.)

Beginning in the early eighteenth century, enslaved Africans brought to colonial Louisiana developed new ways of communicating while living and working on plantations throughout the region. Drawing from French and blending it with grammatical structures and vocabulary from their native West African languages, they created what would eventually become Louisiana Creole. Over time, the language grew into a vibrant and widely spoken part of everyday life in Louisiana, used by people across different racial, cultural, and social backgrounds, especially in and around New Orleans.

Today, Louisiana Creole is considered critically endangered due to generations of language suppression, cultural stigma, and the lack of institutional support for its preservation and teaching. In response to this ongoing decline, “Creole in the Quarter” was created to support the revitalization of Louisiana Creole by introducing beginner students to the language, its history, and its living cultural traditions.

Course Description: This introductory course is designed for students who are new to Louisiana Creole, commonly referred to as “Kouri-Vini,” and want to develop a strong foundation in the language. No previous French or Louisiana Creole instruction is required. Students will become familiar with the writing system, build everyday vocabulary, and practice useful expressions commonly used in daily conversations. By the end of the course, students will be able to introduce themselves, ask and answer basic questions, and communicate with greater confidence in both spoken and written Kouri-Vini. By exploring both language and culture, students will gain the skills needed to understand and use basic Louisiana Creole in daily interactions.