Young students come to world language classrooms with genuine excitement about the possibility of being able to speak a language other than their own. When world language teachers connect second language instruction to students' general education curriculum content, the opportunity presents itself to potentially increase students' ability to speak in the second language. At Pittsville Elementary Middle School (PEMS), this is evidenced by a significant increase in the confidence level of second language production of the third graders in the program. Located in rural Wicomico County, Maryland, PEMS is a small school of approximately 450 students and 63 staff members. The school includes grades three through eight. World language course offerings have traditionally included middle school exploratory foreign language (FLEX) and Spanish I for eligible eighth graders. In 2008, the Wicomico County School System piloted a content-related foreign language elementary school (FLES) program in French for third, fourth and fifth graders at this location. When students are interested in what they are learning, their performance reflects that interest. The use of thematic units in French which are directly linked to the general education curriculum allows for the focus of learning moving from simply the French language to using the language in a meaningful way. At PEMS, students are introduced and work with new content in their general education class briefly before the corresponding French unit begins. When the French unit begins, student confidence in the content is increased. For some students, the increase is a result of a perceived familiarity with the content. For other students, the increase is the result of having an opportunity to experience the content for a second time in a different context. By using grade-level content as a tool for second language instruction, students learn real language in a real context. The result is real excitement--for the students speaking French and for the world language teacher watching the development of life-long language learners.