Mastery in Dzongkha can be attained via consistent practice in speaking, reading, and writing; it is primarily a question of personal interest. Fluency in English has come to represent education and prestige, but Dzongkha speakers are rarely given the same respect. The role of the media in promoting Dzongkha was a contentious issue at yesterday’s annual journalism conference in Paro, where this change in language preference was a major theme. However, a lot of people concurred that the media had a big impact on Dzongkha’s growth. It was also emphasized that the media is not the only entity responsible. Dzongkha is currently receiving less attention in the media.
One of the main issues raised was how the news media, whose main responsibility is to inform the public, might support Dzongkha’s growth. Government adverts, which are always published in English, are the main source of funding for the majority of media outlets. Ugyen Dorji noted that spelling errors are a significant problem and that many Bhutanese find it difficult to write in Dzongkha. He stated that in order to enhance the usage of Dzongkha in digital media, the department is creating an online spell-checking tool.
The conference attendees emphasized that giving English precedence over Dzongkha may have detrimental effects on Bhutan’s sovereignty, security, and sense of national identity. Allowing English to take over might undermine the nation’s distinctive cultural character, which includes Dzongkha. Concerns over the way children of the Bhutanese diaspora abroad are learning Dzongkha were also voiced by a few delegates. According to the participants, families, schools, and government organizations must work together for Dzongkha to flourish.