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Bhutan's
Culture: Dzonghka - National Language |
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Dzongkha:
Bhutan's National language |
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Bhutan's
Culture: Dzongkha |
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Bhutan Information |
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Dzongkha
software |
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| The
DDA official coaches a gup's clerk on using the Dzongkha software
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| Gups
of 12 bgeogs in Trashigang dzongkhag should be able to make optimum use
of their office computers with the installation of the Dzongkha language
software.
The
installation of the software has already been completed in Radhi, Kanglung,
Khaling, Bartsham and Bidung geogs. |
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"Although
we could not install the latest 'windows' Dzongkha software, we installed
the older 'word perfect' version," said the, Dzongkha Development Authority's
focal person in Trashigang, Ugyen Lhendup.
Ugyen
Lhendup said that the easy to use word-perfect format, which comes free
from the government, had been used in the country for the past three years
and was now widely used all over the country.
Dzongkha
and English were also used as a language of formal forum, Dzongkha as a
lingua franca and English as a matrix language, a language of science,
technology and international communication and a source of pressure on
local language and culture, the study said. "This may be telling that they
mixed or switched between these two languages in which they felt more comfortable,
or when they lack the vocabulary to express better," Singye Namgyel's study
paper stated.
The
Dzongkha alphabets in the old format serially follow the arrangement of
the English alphabets on the keyboard. "We are used to working with this
software, which makes it much easier for us to train the gups and their
clerks," said Ugyen Lhendup. "We haven't seen the latest software ourselves."
Ugyen
and his team are also giving the gups and their clerks some basic computer
courses, and teaching them some of the simple and standard styles of writing
official letters.
"We
don't have enough budget to arrange a training programme for the gups in
the dzongkhag," Ugyen Lhendup said. "So the cheapest way was to train them
as we go from one geog to another installing the software."
The
Bartsham and Bidung gups and their clerks who now find it easier to use
the computer with the Dzongkha software are confident of making better
use of the computer.
The
Bartsham gup's clerk, Chador Phuntsho who does most of the writing work
in the gup's office told Kuensel that he would be able to use the computer,
which had been lying idle on the office table for the last two months,
within no time.
"It
is not difficult for me to decipher which English alphabet on the keyboard
is which in Dzongkha," said Chador Phuntsho. "I learnt that in Thimphu
when I was serving the Bartsham lam, Kunzang Wangdi."
The
Bidung Gup, Karma, said that he learnt to print letters from the computer
the moment he was taught. "I know the main keys to be punched," said Karma.
"But it is going to take sometime before we get comfortable with the typing."
"With
the decentralisation policy our responsibilities as the village leaders
increased," said the Bartsham gup, Neten Druba. "Even if we worked during
weekends, our works kept piling because everything had to be done by hand.
I am hoping that the computer will ease all that."
His
clerk, Chador Phuntsho added that whenever the GYT meetings were held it
was difficult for him to keep the minutes. "It takes us a week to hand
write the main points raised during the meetings," said Chador Phuntsho.
"Now I am hoping that we would be able to write, save, print and send the
letters to the tshokpas and to the dzongkhag within a day."
The
dzongkhag intends to complete installing the dzongkha software in Phongmey,
Shongphu, Samkhar, Yangner, Uzurong, Lumang and Thrimshing dungkhag within
this month.
The
installation works started on April 30, about three months after the computers
were distributed.
The
four geogs of Merak, Sakten, Kangpara, and Nanong, which do not have electricity,
have not been supplied with the computer facility.
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| Contributed
by
Samten Wangchuk, KUENSEL, Bhutan's National Newspaper, 2006 |
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