Language in Bhutan

Bhutan has at least 19 local or indigenous languages; whether they are classified as separate languages or dialects varies by taxonomy. The constitutionally designated national language (Dzongkha) is spoken predominantly in the western heartland, while the eastern regional language (Tshangla), also known as Sharchopkha, is spoken mainly in the east, and the southern regional language (Lhotshamkha), also known as Nepali, mainly in the south. Other regional languages include Bumthangkha, Khengkha, Kurtöpkha, Nyenkha, Dzalakha, Brokpa, Lhokpu, Gongduk and Lepcha. Many people combine a local family or everyday language with Dzongkha and English, although language proficiency and literacy do not automatically coincide. Dzongkha is written in Tibetan script and is the constitutional national language; English is not a national language, but it effectively serves as a second major access language for education, law, administration and international contacts. Official meetings, official correspondence, signage and dealings with the public are intended to take place in Dzongkha. Language mediation is provided for international participants, while parliamentary debates take place in Dzongkha and laws are often available in English and Dzongkha. In education, examinations of BCSEA are generally held in English, except for Dzongkha; LCSC examinations use the examination language (Chhoeked) or Dzongkha, except for English, and Dzongkha is a compulsory subject. The 2022 BLSS survey reports that among people aged six and over, 66.9 percent were in the category Dzongkha/Lhotsham only, 1.0 percent English only, 2.0 percent Dzongkha/Lhotsham plus English, 0.7 percent other languages and 29.4 percent without reading ability; this does not allow the distribution of mother tongues to be inferred. BBS broadcasts radio and television content in Dzongkha and English, and partly in Lhotshamkha and Tshanglakh; smaller languages do not have comparable formal reach there. The Department of Culture and Dzongkha Development works on standardization, dictionaries, terminology, research, documentation of indigenous languages and revitalization. The Constitution obliges the state to preserve, protect and promote language and literature as cultural heritage. No nationally uniform entitlement to translation or interpreting services for smaller languages is documented; in everyday life, mediation often takes place regionally or informally.