As more people prefer English as a medium of communication, Dzongkha will not survive as the national language after fifty years. This is according to a study by the Dzongkha Development Commission, DDC conducted in three institutes across the country. Therefore, to promote the national language, the commission has been publishing several products and services. Continuing the concerted effort, the commission released ten new books yesterday.
The books include comic books for children, proverbs, Dzongkha terminology, and animation. The commission also launched an advanced Dzongkha dictionary on its website. The books are published with illustrations to make them more engaging for the readers.
According to the commission, the study showed that the usage of Dzongkha in writing and reading was very low among the Bhutanese population. The study recommended the commission to institutionalise Dzongkha Standard Testing System through policy intervention to promote the national language.
Dzongkha Standard Testing System is similar to International English Language Testing System.
“For people to take more interest in Dzongkha, it’s important to implement Dzongkha Standard Testing System. The report mentions people’s usage of Dzongkha and the reasons why people do not use the national language. All the findings are there. So, based on that we will make plans and policies and resources accessible for the people,” said Karma Gyeltshen, Programme Officer with the DDC.
The books will ensure that the national language is used more frequently in public institutions, official meetings, and the education sector.
“Whatever programmes we plan it’s important to conduct them in Dzongkha. And to achieve that we need proper resources. We need relevant Dzongkha words, terminology, meaning, and contemporary words. Based on that we are publishing a lot of books,” said Namgay Thinley, Chief Programme Officer with DDC.
It is also recommended that the commission to initiate strategic intervention to promote the usage of Dzongkha with a special emphasis on writing and reading.
Kelzang Choden
