Dzongkha

Curriculum
 DZONGKHA

DZONGKHA
THE NATIONAL LANGUAGE OF BHUTAN

This curriculum content consists of 3 levels of learning, namely, Beginner

level, intermediate level, and advanced level. Each level consists of various
reading, writing, listening, and speaking practices.

BEGINNER LEVEL (4 months)

Level 01

Listening and Speaking

You will be able to:

Communicate about yourself and environmental-related topics.

Communicate to some extent by asking questions and sharing opinions on related

topics.

Learn about greetings so that you will be able to communicate respectfully with
others.

Learn about shapes and colors, day and date, and feelings, and accordingly you will
be able to speak and listen about it.

Introduce yourself and others.

Learn about numbers and use numbers starting from 0- 100.

Learn about the family members.

Learn about different body parts.

Learn about domestic animals and wild animals. Accordingly, the learners will be able
to describe it to some extent.

Learn about some plants, trees, and flowers.

Learn about different kinds of birds.

BEGINNER LEVEL (4 months)

Level 01 DZONGKHA
Reading and Writing

You will be able to:

Speak with the perfect intonation of letters having learned the pictures, letters,
and surmounted and sub-joined letters which produce the letters.

Learning the necessary words, one will be able to learn about the words related
to surrounding around and accordingly use them.

Reading the story books, one will be able to improve the vocabulary.

One can read and write numbers from 0- 100 and use them well.

One will get familiar with surmounted and sub-joined letters, prefixes, suffixes,
and post-suffix letters.

Learn about subscripts, reverse letters, and double-stacked letters.

Syllabus:

Introduction to vowels and letters

Introduction to surmounting letters and sub-joined letters together

Introduction to the suffix, prefix, and post-suffix letters with other letters

Introduction to noun and adjective

Introduction to a simple sentence

Introduction to family members

Introduction to animals, fruits, plants, etc.

Introduction to numbers, shapes, colors, etc.

Introduction to honorific terms

 DZONGKHA

TYPE OF TEST
Level 01 (4 months)

Listening
Comprehension questionnaires deal with three or four very short
recordings about everyday life. 4-5 questions will be asked based on
the recordings.
The maximum duration of recordings: 3 minutes
The total duration of the test: minimum of 30 minutes

Reading
Comprehension questionnaires deal with four or five written documents
about everyday life.
The total duration of the test: minimum of 30 minutes

Writing
Two parts tests:
Filing in a form
Writing simple sentences about everyday life
The total duration of the test: minimum of 30 minutes

Speaking
Guided conversations (approximately 1 min)
Exchanging information (approximately 2 mins)
Role play (approximately 2 mins)
The total duration of the test: minimum of 30 minutes
The total length of group tests: 1 hour 20 minutes
Overall pass mark 50 out of full mark 100
Level 02 (3 months) DZONGKHA

You will be able to:

Clarify a particular subject and according to the instruction, answer

the questions.

Through cooperative learning, one can participate in group learning

and gain knowledge.

Communication skills, share about the daily experiences, storytelling,

and sharing the news.

Learn different words, so one can explicitly explain according to the

situation.

Learn numbers from 0- 1000 thoroughly.

Reading and Writing

You will be able to:
Having learned about reading and writing, one will be able to understand,
stories, songs, and signboards.

Learn about the different pronunciations, especially when there are

sub-joined, surmounted letters, prefixes, suffixes, and post-suffix letters.

Gain the skills to review the literature and compose new compositions after
learning about its features.

Learn about the usage of dictionaries and improve the vocabulary by

learning the definition and spellings of the words.

Read more books and improve your vocabulary.

Learn about song, speech, story, and essay.

Learn about correspondence.

Gain the basic skills to write songs, speeches, and stories.

 DZONGKHA

Level 02 (3 months)

Syllabus:

Introduction to correspondence

Introduction to grammar

Introduction to essay

Introduction to poetry

Introduction to descriptive essay

Introduction to narrative essay

Introduction to Bhutanese etiquette

Honorific terms
 DZONGKHA

TYPE OF TEST
Level 02 (3 months)

Listening
Comprehension questionnaires deal with three or four very short recordings
about everyday life. 4-5 questions will be asked based on the recordings.
The maximum duration of recordings: 3 minutes
The total duration of the test: minimum of 30 minutes

Reading
Comprehension questionnaires deal with several written documents about
everyday life.
The total duration of the test: minimum of 30 minutes

Writing
Two short pieces of writing (letter to a friend or description of anything):
Describe an event or narrate about the personal experience.
Invitation, giving information, or congratulatory notes.
The total duration of the test: minimum of 45 minutes

Speaking
Guided conversations (approximately 1 min)
Monologue (approximately 2 mins)
Interactive exercise (approximately 2 mins)
The total duration of the test: minimum of 30 minutes
The total length of group tests: 1 hour 40 minutes
Overall pass mark 50 out of full mark 100
INTERMEDIATE LEVEL (3 months)

Listening and Speaking

You will be able to:

Gain reflection skills, and communicate through

discussion, clarification, and sharing opinions.

Able to use updated new words and phrases.

Due to communication skills, one can deliver

presentations and speeches.

Gaining reflection skills, one can verify news and

announcement and share them with others.

One will be able to talk about things clearly.

Reading and Writing

You will be able to:

Understand the meaning of various essays and
speeches and use it in situations.

Read and write well.

Write a different piece based on other literature

Use proper tenses.

Read and write which will be practically usable in

daily life.

Syllabus:

Correspondence
Introduction to typing session of Dzongkha letters
Learning story writing
Persuasive essay
Grammar
Different types of sentences
Bhutanese etiquette
 DZONGKHA

TYPE OF TEST
INTERMEDIATE LEVEL (3 months)

Listening
Comprehension questionnaires dealing with several recordings:
-Long recordings (interview, speech, etc)
-Few short radio broadcasts.
Maximum duration of recordings: 10 minutes
Total duration of test: maximum 2 hours 25 minutes

Reading
Comprehension questionnaires dealing with the text of ideas (literacy or jour-
nalist) 1500- 2000 words long.
The total duration of the test: minimum of 50 minutes

Writing
Two parts of writing:
Summarize several writing documents approximately of 1000 words.
Write an essay with supporting arguments on document contents.
The total duration of the test: 2 hours 30 minutes

Speaking
A presentation based on a series of written documents, followed by a discus-
sion with the examiners and mates.
The total duration of the test: approximately 30 minutes
The total length of group tests: 2 hours
Overall pass marks 25 out of full marks 50
ADVANCED LEVEL (2 months)
DZONGKHA
Listening and Speaking

You will be able to:

Gain verification skills - verify others’ opinions and accordingly
share the opinions.

Listen well while others deliver the speech and you will be able to
deliver the speech well..

Learning different kinds of literature, one will thoroughly analyze it,

and speak about it.

Communicate well with everyone.

Reading and Writing

You will be able to:

Learn different strategies for reading.

Apply the bookish knowledge in the real life.

Learn about the different characteristics of poetry

and essay and using the good features one must be
able to use it.

Learn the translation.

Syllabus:

Correspondence
Grammar
Essays
Stories
Poetry
Advanced study of Bhutanese etiquette
 DZONGKHA

TYPE OF TEST
ADVANCED LEVEL (2 months)

Listening & Speaking

This section has 3 parts:
Write up on the contents of the recording.
Personal development based on the problem given in the recording.
Debate among the students.
Duration 30 mins

Reading & writing

Writing a well-structured text consisting of approximately 2500 words.
The total duration of the test: approximately 3 hours
The total length of group tests: 3 hours
Out of 100 marks and pass marks of 50.

Final Assessment:
This will be based on all the levels.
Writing: 20
Reading: 20
Speaking: 20
Listening: 20
*5 points from Continuous Assessment from each category,
which will make up to full marks of 100
*50 pass mark