An Interview with Anwar Accawi

Anwar Accawi has been a faculty member at ELI since 1979. He is also a famous writer of essays and short stories, many of which relate to his own experiences in adapting to new cultures. (A short list of Accawi’s published work is below). Accawi was born and raised in Lebanon, and has lived in the United States for thirty-five years. In the following interview, Accawi explains how his experiences and his writing combine to influence his work in the classroom.

How long have you been a teacher?

Accawi: I started teaching in 1963, fresh out of high school. In order to qualify to teach, I had to take a summer class in elementary education. My first job was teaching English. Later my teaching career was interrupted for four years. That was when I had to go to college to get my first degree.

What made you want to be a teacher?

Accawi: I was lucky. I had great teachers throughout my childhood and young years. Those teachers set an excellent example for me and I wanted to be like them when I grew up.

Do you recall your first teaching job?

Accawi: Oh, yes I do. I had to teach third graders English. They were all native speakers of Arabic. I remember how I sweated profusely that first day I entered the classroom -- I was transfixed by twenty-five pairs of eager eyes.

How many languages do you speak?

Accawi: Two. I speak English and Arabic. Arabic is my first language.

How did you learn English?

Accawi: I picked it up at home from my father who was an interpreter in the British army during WWII. Then I attended an American missionary school in Sidon. After high school I was given a scholarship to attend college in the USA.

Does your knowledge of Arabic affect your work in the classroom?

Accawi: Knowing Arabic helps in the classroom in that it makes it possible for me to relate to Middle Eastern students very easily. And the students feel comfortable in that they have someone to go to that understands their position or slant on things. It is a cultural and professional plus to be familiar with the Arabic language and culture.

You are a well-published author of short fiction and essays. When did you start your writing career?

Accawi: I started writing in the early 1980's. My wife asked me to write something about my life and childhood for our children to read. A friend encouraged me to send these stories to a publisher. I did and one essay made it to the Best American Essays in 1998. That led to the publication of a book--

How does your writing influence your teaching?

Accawi: Believe it or not, writing has helped me become a better teacher. The writing process has made me more aware of language, its beauty and its complexities.

What do you like about teaching at ELI?

Accawi: Diversity! Every term offers a new and unprecedented combination of cultures and nationalities. Every term is a surprise. And the students are the cream of the crop. They are motivated and driven to excel.

Selected works by Anwar Accawi:
(available at English libraries or on-line bookstores)

The Boy from the Tower of the Moon (Beacon Press, 1999).
The Telephone (in The Best American Essays, 1998).
Plastic (in The Sewanee Review, volume 112, number 4, fall issue, 2004).
The Radio (in DoubleTake, Spring 1999).

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