A nation, many languages

Languages are one of the most important human achievements. They´re developed at the community level. Thus, it´s saidthat its nature is mostly cultural. Moreover, cultural diversity means an array of knowledge, and how life or realityis understood.Each language and dialect has its own system of distributing its linguistic elements, which includes sentenceconstruction, pronunciation, word formation, and meaning organization.Throughout Central and Latin America, the predominant language is Spanish (except Brazil, a portuguese-speakingcountry). Nowadays, more than 320 million people speak spanish, making this language the second most widely spokenafter mandarin (chinese). Spanish derives from Latin, so it uses Roman script. And, in general, the way you speak orpronounce is like the way you write or spell.A nation, many languagesAccording to the current peruvian Constitution of 1993, official languages are castellano (spanish), quechua, aimara andthe aboriginal tongues. The last census of 2007 showed that 83.9% of all peruvian population speak spanish as theirmother tongue. Peruvian spanish is regarded as one of the purest of all. However, we can´t say that it´s standardacross the country. How peruvians speak vary from coast, highlands, and jungle.People from the Amazon Basin that comprises eastern departments alongside the border to Colombia, Brazil and Boliviasuch as Loreto, Ucayali, and Madre de Dios speak as if they were singing with a peculiar accent or ´dejo´ in spanish.So do happen on the north coast in the departments of Piura and Tumbes, next to Ecuador.Many andean indians don´t pronounce spanish well, because their mother tongue is quechua or aimara, which have adifferent phonetics than spanish. In rural areas, this gap is much more noticeable.The cleanest spanish is found on coastal urban cities, especially in Lima, Trujillo, Chiclayo, and Tacna (on the borderto Chile).In addition to changes in pronunciation, there is a slightly differences in enunciation. Almost each area has aparticular manner to name a few things and express ideas, which is known as ´regionalismos´.A common mistake is a kind of cluster. For example, cuñado (brother-in-law), and agotado (sold out) become cuña´o,and agota´o. Some interjections such as oye or pues become o´e and pu´e.Slang and jargon are continously changing, and it´s used especially by the youth. Thus, pantalon (trousers), chofer(chauffeur), mujer (woman) and hotel turn out lompa, fercho, jerma, and telo.Other examples: estoy apurado (i am in a hurry), ser un experto (be an expert) would be said: estoy apurimac, and ser untrome. Also, ser estudioso (like studying), and ser tonto (be lazy) become ser chancon, and ser corcho.If you make a mistake, you would say: me quincie rather than me equivoque.As an example of jargon, gang teenagers greet each other as: hola, causita, instead of hola, amigo (hello, my friend).More ways to say amigo (friend): collera, pata, chochera, and even brother.It is rare, but it may happen that peruvians themselves endure some difficulties understanding echa other, even thoughthey speak spanish, especially if they are of different age, region or socioeconomic status.