In the mid 80s (84-87) I worked/lived in Calcasieu Parish (Lake Charles & Sulphur) while remodeling two Safeway grocery stores.
One of the managers and one of the assistant managers of the store in Lake Charles were both fluent in ‘Cajun French’. I recall that that there were quite a few customers that made it a point to come do their grocery shopping specifically when one or the other of those two gentlemen were ‘on duty’ (there were two managers and two assistant managers, to cover both the day & night shift) because they weren’t very fluent in English.
The manager related to me that he didn’t learn to speak English until he started elementary school, and that some of the customers that shopped there when he was on duty, didn’t speak much English, and a few didn’t speak any English at all. :eek:
The managers son barely spoke it, though. And for that matter, IIRC, I usually only heard older people converse in it.
I really can’t say if it’s ‘compatible’ with the French that’s used in Canada or France.
I’ve always enjoyed hearing it spoken, it seems to have a ‘lyrical/musical’ quality to it, IMHO. 