Akira Y. Yamamoto
1
A Chamicuro grandmother, Natalia Sangama, spoke these words in 1999:
I dream in Chamicuro,
but I cannot tell my dreams
to anyone,
because there is no one else
who speaks Chamicuro.
It’s lonely being the last one.
2
The Chamicuro (or Chamekolo) is a language in Lagunas, Peru. It has only eight speakers and is critically endangered. . . .
How does the rhetoric in the first two paragraphs impact the meaning of the text?
A.
It reveals the complex and interrelated reasons for language endangerment.
B.
It implies that readers are called to take action against language endangerment.
C.
It empowers the reader to make changes regarding language endangerment.
D.
It suggests that sorrow accompanies the situation of language endangerment.
1 answer
D. It suggests that sorrow accompanies the situation of language endangerment.
The rhetoric in the first two paragraphs conveys a deep sense of loneliness and loss, particularly through the grandmother's lament about her dreams and the absence of others who speak her language. This emotional appeal illustrates the sorrow and isolation tied to language endangerment, highlighting the personal impact on individuals who find themselves as the last speakers of their language.
