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Languages Spoken in Bhutan
 Bhutan's
official language is Dzongkha, a dialect similar to Tibetan,
which has acquired many distinctive national characteristics,
particularly in pronounciation. Dzongkha is written in classical
Ucan script. Since the sixties, English has been the medium
of instruction in secular schools, while Cheokay, classical
Dzongkha, is used in traditional and monastic schools. Nepali
is spoken in the south.
Given the geographic isolation of many of Bhutan's
highland villages, it is not surprising that a number of different
dialects have survived. It is estimated that in eastern Bhutan
alone there are as many as eleven vernaculars, and it is not
unusual for people from one region to have difficulty communicating
with those from another. As roads and modern methods of communication
open up these areas the teaching of Dzongkha has become one
of the government's educational priorities. |
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