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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
68 Reader's Book