When a student expresses a viewpoint, she often expresses one based on her cultural background, such as the beliefs of her culture and how she was raised. This can benefit other students who have no previous experience with that culture. In this way, her fellow students can learn about a variety of cultures they might not have been exposed to otherwise. Through sharing each other's cultural backgrounds and experiences, students hear how people from other cultures talk and what they think. They learn how to interact with their fellow students from other cultures, and also come to realize how many similarities they actually have with these students. Over time, they also come to understand that a view shared by one person of, for example, Asian heritage, is not necessarily shared by all Asian people.
People often deal with a variety of cultural backgrounds in their jobs. Their clients, customers and co-workers are likely to come from a diverse mix of cultures. As school is often a training ground for work and life, exposure to a diverse group of people in the classroom can help prepare students for what they will likely encounter in their working lives. To be successful, it will be important for them to be able to work with, and for, diverse groups of people.
Increased diversity in a student population can lead to increased study of a variety of cultures in the classroom. Although minority cultures are in danger of being neglected in lesson plans --- not necessarily because of prejudice but merely through lack of attention --- the presence of students from minority cultures can increase the likelihood that the school will incorporate and offer material relating to that culture, which may originate with inspiration from the teacher or from the students themselves. This can increase all students' knowledge of cultures around the world.
Diversity in the classroom can improve students' problem-solving skills. Students in diverse classrooms interact with fellow students from a variety of backgrounds. This poses them the challenge of learning to communicate effectively with a wide variety of people. They gain the experience of working to effectively cooperate with and communicate amongst others from various cultures to achieve a goal, such as completing an assignment.