Barbarism in modern linguistics refers to when people say or write things that are not considered correct or proper in a language. It's like when you're learning to talk and you make mistakes - like saying "doggie" instead of "dog" or "juicey" instead of "juice." As you get older, you learn the correct words and grammar so people can understand you better. But sometimes, people don't learn or forget the correct way to speak or write in their language and make mistakes, also known as barbarisms. It's important to use correct language so people can understand you and to be taken seriously.