What is FLES?

                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
FLES stands for "Foreign Language in the Elementary School." We also refer to our program as "Elementary World Language." 

At Richmond, we offer both French and Spanish. Our classes meet 3 times a week, for 40 minutes each class. 

Our FLES classrooms are dedicated the 90/10 immersion model, in which 90 percent of instruction is given in the new language. This model encourages comprehension and listening skills. Basic math skills, science and social studies topics, and culture are integrated into our learning. 

Our mission is for students to develop the beginning skills in the 3 modes of language:

  • interpretive: listening and reading
  • interpersonal: person to person communication
  • presentational: reading and writing 
Some instructional methods used in our classroom include: 
  • TPR (Total physical response): using movements to understand new words
  • Visuals
  • Labels
  • Games
  • Information Gap Activities: activities in groups in partners which requires the use of the target language to obtain information from others
  • Storytelling
  • Read Alouds
  • Videos
  • Technology: for learning and project development
  • Presentations
  • Projects
  • Art
  • Modeling and Fish Bowl method: The teacher will model how activities should look in the target language with students 
  • Questionnaires
  • Questioning techniques
  • Sentence starters


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