Being up front with students about Standard English as "the language of power" allows them to learn valuable lessons about Standard and non-Standard English dialects. In this article, the author describes an eighth-grade language unit that helps students understand the value of dialects and standardized English. The author concludes that the "language of power"--when to use it, as well as its limitations--is indeed a necessary and rich subject of study in English classes. (Contains 3 figures and 1 note.)