Adriana Pascual was born in Florida but raised in Guatemala, giving her an advantage that is now invaluable.

Mrs. Pascual, 19, is one of the few local residents who speaks English, Spanish and her native language, Kanjobal, a Mayan dialect spoken primarily in Guatemala and part of Mexico.

As more immigrants move into the area from regional communities - primarily in Mexico and Guatemala - many speak unfamiliar languages and dialects, so the need for special interpreters increases.

"A lot of them try to explain themselves, but no one understands them," said Mrs. Pascual, who came back to the United States at age 5. "Many get frustrated because they can't communicate with anyone."

Mrs. Pascual works for La Paz de Dios, a local organization that works with the Hispanic community and, among her other duties, she serves as an interpreter both for Spanish and Kanjobal speakers.

Mayan dialects such as Kanjobal, Quiche and Mam, for instance, are not related to Spanish and may require a completely different interpreter.

To solve part of the language barrier, the consulates of Mexico and Guatemala in Atlanta are asking all immigrants who speak an indigenous language to contact the consulates to form a directory.

"(The Mexican government) asked all the consulates in the United States to form this directory so we can provide better assistance to those who don't speak Spanish," Mexican consulate spokesman Armando Bello said.

Through the directory, consulate officials will track data on where the immigrants are located and the contact information of potential interpreters.

Where are they from?

Mr. Bello said he doesn't have the percentage of people in this region who speak an indigenous language, but most who migrate here come from the southern Mexican states of Chiapas, Oaxaca and Guerrero, where they speak languages such as Nahuatl, Zapoteco and Mixteco.

There are more than 364 linguistic variants in Mexico, according to Mr. Bello.

Beatriz Ilescas, the Guatemalan consul in Atlanta, said they don't have a formal network of interpreters, but do have several people throughout the area, including in Tennessee and South Carolina, who are contacted in case of an emergency.

The problem, she said, is that many of the immigrants are here illegally and fearful of collaborating with the consulates.

"Right now, we have a young girl in the hospital who only speaks Mam and is trying to find an interpreter," she said. "So far we haven't been able to."

Variations of Mam are spoken in the Guatemalan regions of Quetzaltenango, Huehuetenango and San Marcos and, while there are similarities in the languages, complete understanding is not always possible between people who speak the different dialects, experts say.

And that's just one dialect.

"In Guatemala, we have 23 different Mayan dialects ... depending on the region," Ms. Ilescas said.

Translating demand

Dalton resident Maria Salazar arrived in Florida 10 years ago from Oaxaca not speaking any Spanish, only Mixteco.

"I learned Spanish due to necessity. I couldn't talk to anyone," she said. "I started reading books and learned little by little."

Now Ms. Salazar is one of 25 people available to help the Mexican consulate when it needs an interpreter for Mixteco.

Not having an interpreter who speaks one of the indigenous languages can lead to frightening results, consulate officials said.

"In Tennessee several years ago, we had a case where the judge had removed a lady's children from her custody because she didn't speak English," Mr. Bello said.

"We had to call the local government in her hometown to find someone who could interpret (via telephone), and she regained the custody of her children," he said.

Maria Pascual, who is not related to Adriana Pascual, once almost left a doctor's office without seeing the doctor because no one could understand what she needed. She arrived in Chattanooga from Guatemala five years ago and, though she speaks some Spanish and understands English, she can't communicate fluently in any language other than Kanjobal.

The doctor's office called Adriana Pascual so she could interpret.