| 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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