Arabizi is a language that is used in modern Arabic-speaking countries. It is a system of writing Arabic using English characters, so it is considered a combination of Arabic and English languages. It is mostly used in a text messaging system over the internet and cellular phones, and that is because most of cellular phones did not support Arabic language or Arabic characters. Also, Arabic language was thought of as more difficult to use, therefore this new language was invented. Arabizi is used to replace Arabic writing letters, and this raises concerns regarding the preservation of the quality and purity of the Arabic language. In this essay, I will discuss why it appeared, its effect on our Arabic identity and whether or not purity of Arabic needs to be defended.
Ahmad: Hey Omar, how are you? Fenak?
Omar: Hey Ahmad, Ana kont fe school today.
This is a conversation that is happening nowadays hundreds of times in Egypt, Amman, Beirut, Kuwait or any other Arab country. This trend is now widely spreading among English-educated youth in Eastern Arabic countries. So most of the youth now are following them so that they can keep up with the trend (Radi, Arabizi). During the last decades of the 20th century, a lot of youth have been using Arabizi as a language for communications with others. The reasons for the spreading of Arabizi are numerous as English language preceded over the Internet and on cell phones. Since Arabic was not accessible through this technology, the only way to communicate in the digital world was by Latinizing the Arabic alphabet (sperrazza, I am not my tongue). Youth found it easier to write in Arabizi, and with the increased use of the Internet and short text messages, some Arabic speakers decided to utilize th...
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...c is the real identity. But now, youth have identity clashes and crises and they cannot choose only one side. Youth now are somehow aware of the effect of using Arabizi. They started campaigns to call for writing in either Arabic or English, but not a mixed language, and if possible write in Fusha, classical Arabic. Arabizi appeared for a reason but there is a solution now, as such, Arabs have to get back to their genuine language that makes them unique from other people around the world. Campaigns are now held to preserve the Arabic language and defend the purity of Arabic. The UN also declared a day called the International day of Arabic and it is held on the 18th of December. It is to promote multilingualism and cultural diversity, also to celebrate Arabic language’s role and contribution to the safeguarding and dissemination of human civilization and culture.
Language is truly part of our identity: our languages shape who we are. That is why we always have to be tolerant and comprehensive with others’ accents, typical phrases, or grammatical errors. Writers that really make an impact when referring to language and identity are Gloria Anzaldua and Amy Tan, with their readings “How to Tame a Wild Tongue” and “Mother Tongue” respectively. These two writers, with completely different backgrounds, shared their views about how language and identity are intertwined.
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Joyce, James. "Araby." Backpack Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing. By X. J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. 4th ed. Boston: Pearson, 2012. 316-21. Print.
In the short story “Araby” by James Joyce, the protagonist reflects over his adolescent years of when he was infatuated with his best friend’s sister. Through the narrator’s journey of showing his admiration towards her, he goes through an epiphany. Joyce establishes a shift from a dreamy tone to a depressing one as well as establishing the narrator’s discovery of the realities of adulthood.
Hourani, Albert. A History of the Arab Peoples. Cambridge, MA: Belknap of Harvard UP, 1991. Print.
Abraham, Nabeel . "Demographics." The Arab American Institute. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2014. .
Mourtada, R., & Salem, F. (2012). Social media in the Arab world: influencing societal and cultural
Language is a means of communication and it varies from one community to another. Everyone has a mother tongue which depended on the family’s upbringing. A second language can be learned along the way. There are also instances where a person is born in a community that speaks two languages and therefore, had to learn both languages. The quality of the languages learned will be affected by how well the community speaks both languages. This can later develop into a new form of language. The essay describes the frustration of the author who felt rejected by different groups for speaking a different form of language. Her essay aims to gain sympathy from readers by seeing the issue from her point of view. Anzaldua attempts to achieve this in her essay by raising issues on identity and discrimination. She wanted to highlight that language is not determined by a country’s physical borders.
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