This paper is an investigation of the language varieties understood and used by teachers, and recognition of the implications of these understandings for language education. It acknowledges the role played by teachers and the education system in language maintenance and language change in a period of mass education, which is now moving toward universal secondary education (USE). By investigating the language varieties used by a group of teachers in Dominica, and their knowledge of and attitude to ward these varieties, the study showed that the teachers’ own background reflected much of the variation evident in the country, and their use of the varieties suggested positive attitudes toward the vernacular languages. Kwéyòl is still the language most available, but with migration and schooling, other varieties such as Dominican Creolized English (DCE) have increased in use. The implications for language education are discussed, and a high level of language awareness is acknowledged as needed by teachers in Dominica.