Language Research & Promotion Division

Language Research and Promotion Division

Research:

The roles and responsibilities of the Language Research & Promotion Division are as follows:

To carry out Dzongkha-English bilingual research on grammar, dictionary, lexicon, etc.
To carry out bilingual research between indigenous language and English and write various books.
To write Dzongkha-English bilingual phrasebook.
To carry out language research essential for Dzongkha ICTization.
To carry out research and survey on National Language and other languages.
To conduct workshop, seminar, symposium, advocacy, conference, etc. related to divisional mandate.
To carry out collaborative works with foreign language researchers.

Program :

Create awareness on the importance of Dzongkha as the national language through media, field visits and talking sessions.
Organization of trainings for civil servants, armed forces, etc. and other training activities enshrined in the Dzongkha Policy Framework approved in 100th Cabinet meeting.
Coordination and monitoring of Dzongkha promotional activities with Dzongkha Focal Persons.
Hosting, organization and coordination of linguistic related professional and seminal programs through meetings, colloquium, seminars and conferences with various stakeholders.
Develop project proposals, explore funding support, monitoring and evaluation of project activities.
Coordination, development, and airing of Dzongkha educational materials such as pamphlets, audio-visuals, cartoons, MTV, subtitles, etc.
Organize and promote Dzongkha literary activities such as talks, quiz, essay, spell tests, literary writing competitions, etc.
Establish institutional linkages both within and outside the country with linguistic and educational agencies for collaboration, assistance, and enhancement of knowledge.
Organise, conduct, and publication on Dzongkha Usage in the country through surveys and research and maintain statistical records of Dzongkha.
Monitor implementation of Dzongkha policy by ministries, agencies, Dzongkhags, Thromdes, and local governments.
Liaison with other agencies as DoCDD’s representative on Dzongkha plans, policies, budgets, etc.

Namgay Thinley | Chief Program Officer

Namgay Thinley is the Chief leading the language research and promotion and one among the few Bhutanese trained in Linguistics. He has earlier started as a Research Officer in the Dzongkha Development Commission after completing PGDPA. He has contributed in many areas of Dzongkha development and promotion and in preservation of the indigenous language. He participated in research and writing of papers, monolingual books, and bilingual dictionaries. He led programs on Dzongkha ICTization, digital Dzongkha resources, and language technology. Promotion of Dzongkha was done through trainings, advocacies, and workshops. Indigenous languages are preserved through grammatical documentation, revitalization, and awareness. Orthographical standardization of Dzongkha and enrichment of Dzongkha through coinage and borrowings are continuously pursued. All these efforts will make Dzongkha relevant in modern times and preserve for posterity.

Email id: nthinley@moha.gov.bt

Ugyen Tenzin |

He graduated from Sherubtse College with a BA in Dzongkha (Hons) and earned an MA in Buddhist Studies. He embarked on his early career as a Dzongkha Teacher at Peljorling PS, Samtse, starting in 1992, and later at Mongar HS. Subsequently, he served as a Lecturer at the Institute of Language and Cultural Studies, Semtokha. After dedicating decades to the education sector, he transitioned from teaching and assumed the role of Deputy Chief Human Resource Officer at the Ministry of Labour and Human Resources. Prior to his current position in the Department of Culture and Dzongkha Development, he held the position of Chief Research Officer at the then Dzongkha Development Commission. He is also the recipient of a gold medal.

utenzin@moha.gov.bt

Pema Gyalpo |

He graduated from the College of Natural Resources with a BSc in Sustainable Development. After completing a PGDPA from the Royal Institute of Management, he began his career as an Assistant Human Resource Officer with RCSC in 2018. Before joining the Department of Culture and Dzongkha Development as a Research Officer, he had served with the then Dzongkha Development Commission.

pgyalpo@moha.gov.bt

Jigme Dorji |

He obtained a B.A. in Language & Culture from the University of Bhutan and completed a PGDPA from the Royal Institute of Management. He began his career at Thimphu Thromde and subsequently transferred to the National Land Commission and the Dzongkha Development Commission before being assigned to the Department of Culture and Dzongkha Development as a Research Officer. Currently, he is undertaking a Chinese language course in China.

jigmedorji@moha.gov.bt

Sonam Rinchen |

He entered the civil service in 2008 after graduating with a BA in Dzongkha (Hons) and completing a PGDPA in the Dzongkha Development Commission. He was subsequently assigned to the Department of Culture and Dzongkha Development as a Senior Research Officer. He possesses expertise in Dzongkha POS tagging and has conducted various Dzongkha-related research projects. Additionally, he has been honored as a bronze medalist

srinchen@moha.gov.bt

Singye Dorji |

Prior to his current place of posting, he served at the Dzongkha Development Commission, where he contributed his expertise to various projects. Notably, he is recognized as one of the certified professionals for Dzongkha ICT and the Dzongkha Unicode system in Bhutan.

In addition to his professional responsibilities, he plays a crucial role in managing the collection of corpus for machine translation, showcasing his dedication to advancing language technology in Bhutan. His involvement in this project underscores his commitment to leveraging technology for the benefit of society.

sdorji@moha.gov.bt

སྲོལ་འཛིན་དང་རྫོང་ཁ་གོང་འཕེལ་ལས་ཁུངས།

Department of Culture and Dzongkha Development

Ministry of Home Affairs