Thinley Namgay

Paro— Learning Dzongkha is largely a matter of personal interest, with mastery achievable through daily practice in speaking, reading, and writing. Yet, in a society where English has increasingly become the preferred language—especially in urban areas—Dzongkha has taken a backseat.

The prestige of speaking fluent English has come to symbolise education and status, while those proficient in Dzongkha rarely receive the same recognition. This shift in language preference was a key topic at the annual journalism conference in Paro yesterday, where the role of the media in promoting Dzongkha was hotly debated.

While many agreed that the media holds significant influence to support the development of Dzongkha, it was also emphasised that the responsibility does not lie solely with the media. Many media professionals emphasised that change must start at home, where children first learn the language.

Currently, the media landscape reflects a shrinking focus on Dzongkha. Among the seven newspapers in Bhutan, only two—Kuensel and Gyalchi Sarshog—publish news in Dzongkha, while Business Bhutan has a dedicated page for Dzongkha coverage.

With English language news becoming more dominant, many news outlets also face the challenge of balancing financial sustainability with the national interest of promoting Dzongkha.

One of the key challenges discussed was how news media can contribute to the development of Dzongkha when their primary obligation is to inform the nation.

Most media organisations rely on government advertisements, and all of these ads are published in English. This has led to a perception that English-language content holds more value, both economically and in terms of public engagement.

Ugyen Dorji, Chief Language Development Officer at the Department of Culture and Dzongkha Development (DCDD), pointed out that many Bhutanese struggle with writing in Dzongkha, and inconsistencies in spelling are a major issue.

The DCDD has been working closely with media to provide standardised spelling guidelines for Dzongkha.

He said that the department is developing an online Dzongkha spell-check tool, similar to those available for English, to help improve the language’s use in digital formats.

Tshering Wangdi, Dzongkha Editor and Designer at Kuensel, emphasised that the development of Dzongkha in the media is hindered by inconsistent implementation. He highlighted how Bhutanese invest much more in learning English than in Dzongkha, underscoring the discrepancy in public interest and support for the national language.

Sangay Rabten, a senior reporter at Business Bhutan, stressed the importance of individual interest in learning Dzongkha. “As Bhutanese, we should learn Dzongkha. It is easy to learn if we are genuinely interested,” he said.

Addressing concerns about difficulties in understanding new Dzongkha vocabulary in the news, Sangay Rabten said that this should not be an issue if people prioritise learning Dzongkha.

Participants at the conference underscored that prioritising English over Dzongkha could have serious implications for Bhutan’s national identity, security, and sovereignty. Dzongkha is part of the country’s  unique cultural identity, and allowing English to dominate could erode this heritage.

Some participants also raised concerns about how children of the Bhutanese diaspora living abroad are learning Dzongkha, questioning whether Bhutanese parents in foreign countries are making a concerted effort to teach the language to their children.

Participants said that for Dzongkha to thrive, concerted efforts from families, schools, and government agencies are necessary.