As indicated by the title of this volume, this collection of public speeches, conference
presentations, and practical tips for the elementary foreign language classroom truly celebrates
the vibrancy and mission exhibited by many teachers of foreign languages at the elementary
level. The designation FLES* (pronounced “flestar”) has been created by Lipton
as an “overall term for all types of elementary school foreign language programs”
(p. 1), including sequential FLES (Foreign Language in the Elementary School), FLEX (Foreign
Language Exploratory), and Immersion. According to Lipton, the term “sequential
FLES” subsumes the model usually referred to as FLES.