Page 69 - @ccess 1 Reader´s Book
P. 69

Linguists have debated the number of languages
                in Mexico for a long time. There were 56 languages
                recognized in official documents for many y ars, but
                linguists estimated that there were about 150.It’s
                important to distinguish between a language and a
                well-transformed dialect of that language. Mexican
                indigenous languages have no standardization, which
                makes the issue particularly difficult  It is difficult for
                villages and small towns in which a given language
                is spoken to communicate with other communities
                because of the mountainous terrain where they live. As
                a result, people may find it di ficult to understand the
                dialect from another town when they come into contact.
                When that happens, people may choose to speak
                Spanish, the language they have in common and for
                many years was the only official language
                For example, when conflicts over land or clashes over
                the control of sources of water occur, people may refuse
































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