Culture and CALL

This past week we discussed teaching culture through CALL. I can see how the Internet provides a wealth of information regarding other cultures that is easily accessible. Choosing materials that lead students to a greater appreciation of other cultures and that promote an understanding of different cultural perspectives is important. Teaching culture should go beyond stereotypes and "shallow" aspects of culture. The article we read approached the teaching of culture through processes, products, and perspectives. This seems to be a fairly good way of approaching culture, especially as it is difficult to define what culture is, exactly. One of the exciting things about teaching any language is the opportunity to communicate cross-culturally, to get to know people with different cultural backgrounds, and to develop a better understanding of people throughout the world. I like the idea of interacting in virtual worlds like Second Life to communicate with people in different cultures. However, I still continue to be confused about the difference between a "culture" and a "community of practice," especially when it refers to online communities. I would tend to think of an online community as a "community of practice" rather than an online culture, but our article and the discussion in class appeared to approach them as separate cultures. Any thoughts, classmates?