Media is reviving the Arabic language: experts at AMF

Dubai: The Arab media is playing a vital role in reviving the Arabic language, said experts on the second day of the Arab Media Forum (AMF).

Speakers at the session, titled “Arab the Dilemma of Arabic Language: The role of Media”, believe educational systems are to blame for any negligence in the use of Arabic.

The session questioned whether the media plays a role in weakening the Arabic language by introducing new vocabulary that modernises it.

Farouk Shousha, secretary general of the Arabic Language Academy in Cairo, disagreed, saying on the contrary the media was one of the few outlets to use fus’ha (classical) Arabic.

“The media is not to blame, on the contrary, it is one of the few correct examples of how the language should be used. I think that education systems are to blame for not teaching Arabic correctly. Schools and universities should stop using old traditional methods in teaching Arabic. We should also use new media to promote the Arabic language,” he added.

Shousha said: “I, for one, am optimistic about the future of the Arabic language. People are against the integration that is happening between the English and Arabic languages but I believe that it enriches the language. Even the Quran, which is considered to be the constitution that we follow in the use of Arabic, had other languages integrated into it.”

Zaid Al Drees, Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of Saudi Arabia to Unesco and Vice- Chairman of the Executive Board, agreed saying the Arabic language was in trouble ten years ago but was doing better now.

“The use of BBM [BlackBerry Messenger] did have a negative effect on the Arabic language because of the use of Arabizi, however, newer media like Twitter reintroduced the use of the Arabic language and revived it. I believe that the Arabic language is facing challenges, however, it is not in danger.”

Yasser Sulaiman, Professor of Modern Arabic Studies at the University of Cambridge, said, “The best that we can do for the Arabic Language lies in one word, ‘speak’ it.”

— Noor Nazzal is a trainee at Gulf News