The purpose of this unit can be described as an important tool in my education. This unit is designed to inform future educators that children come from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds and educate me about my linguistic and cultural background. Linguistic diversity1 can be classified as a growing phenomenon of increasing value for most threatened languages ​​in their struggle for existence (Gorter and Cenoz et al., 2013, pp. 1-10). This diversity in languages ​​has brought about changes in the spirit of a language, which according to Gorter and Cenoz et al. (2013, pp. 1-10) has important implications for individuals and societies of a language. However the main purpose of the unit is to understand the linguistic and cultural background of my country regarding African languages2. This essay will discuss classroom literacies in terms of linguistic diversity in South African classrooms and the role of the educator in managing and sensitizing students to cultural and linguistic diversity in a logic of multilingualism. Finally, the benefits and implications of exposure to the linguistic diversity unit will be discussed in terms of professional development in becoming a potential teacher. In South Africa very few schools use African languages ​​as a medium of instruction (Gorter and Cenoz et al. ., 2013, pp. 1-10). In most schools the medium of instruction is English or Afrikaans, linguistic diversity according to Evans and Cleghorn (2010, pp. 30-42) is also complicated by the influx of African refugees and children of migrant workers (Evans and Cleghorn, 2010, pp. 30-42). South Africa's linguistic diversity can be seen as multilingual in most... middle of paper ......nline] Available at: http://www.susdiv.org/uploadfiles/RT1.2_PP_Durk.pdf [ Accessed: November 16, 2013].Martinez, H. 2013. Linguistic and cultural diversity | Open Websites [Online] Available at: http://ows .edb.utexas.edu/site/hicela-martinez/linguistic-and-cultural-diversity [Accessed: 17 November 2013].Nyaga, S. 2013. Managing linguistic diversity in literacy and language development: An analysis of teachers' attitudes, skills and strategies in multilingual classrooms in Kenyan primary schools. Doctor of Philosophy from Stellenbosch University. [online] Available at: studioso .sun.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10019.../nyaga_managing_2013.pdf? [Accessed: 15 November 2013].Silliman, E. and Wilkinson, L. 2013. Online reading - Articles: Learning language and literacy in the classroom. [online] Available at: http://www.readingonline.org/articles/handbook/wilkinson/index.html [Accessed: 13 November 2013].