THE MAKING OF EFL STUDENTS INTO GREAT DEBATERS OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE L2 CLASSROOM ANA DE LA CRUZ MARIALUISA DI STEFANO UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY Introduction Second (L2) and foreign language (FL) learners 1 need to master more than grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation: the element that enables language learners to become effective communicators is culture. Language and culture are inseparable. When referring to this close relationship Michael Lessard-Clouston 2 affirms: Culture and communication are inseparable because culture not only dictates who talks to whom, about what, and how the communication proceeds, it also helps to determine how people encode messages, the meanings they have for messages, and the conditions and circumstances under which various messages may or may not be sent, noticed, or interpreted. Culture is the foundation of communication. 3 Instructors of English as a second language (ESL) and of English as a foreign language (EFL) need to provide their students authentic opportunities for learning the target culture (TC), and EFL teachers need to provide students with enough opportunities of exposure to the language or its application in authentic communication. 4 One of the most productive ways to incorporate cultural content into the language classroom is film. 5 Films contain valuable cultural information and linguistic diversity 6 and allow instructors to bring critical social discourse to their classrooms. As suggested by Mark Pegrum, instructors can use films that portray specific historical events to “enhance students’ awareness of difference, improve their analytical abilities, deepen their comprehension, and broaden their views of other cultural discourses and practices.” 7 Films are, therefore, a means to teach pragmatic awareness, because of the many examples of