Writings by youth occupy a wide space on the Internet and smartphone applications. Often young people communicate through using a common language that mixes Arabic with English words.
These usually combine Arabic letters and their equivalent in English to form words that can only be understood by those who mastered Internet-speak. This language called “Arabizi,” was derived from Arabic and English. Others call it “Arabish.” This form of language has spread among young people, and is only understood by them. Parents find it difficult to decipher or understand its meaning. Had they known the language, they would have been able to understand what goes on between their children just by checking their phones.
Even though this cyber language is spreading quickly, many people say this way of writing is obliterating the Arabic language and tarnishing its authenticity. Mona Al-Asmari, an Arabic language teacher for 15 years, said the new language is strengthening the English language and abusing Arabic. In the past girls were much better at Arabic, but Arabish is slowly obliterating the features of the alphabet. Al-Asmari added: “Children are being spoiled by being given mobile phones with chat websites. This is making Arabic more difficult to understand and less respectable while taking care of English, which has become a source of pride between teenagers.”