摘要：During Summer vacation, on a pilgrimage that testifies to the test's status, one hundred fifty Ritsumeikan University students cram for the Test Of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. for three straight weeks. A TOEFL score in the mid five-hundreds carries clout; immediately important to many students is the fact that high scores earn acceptance into major universities overseas. For university students who want to study abroad, the TOEFL is gatekeeper to transferable academic credit. English teachers, however, cannot lead students directly to the points they seek (Hamp-Lyons 1999). "Beating the test" is a misguided aim. I approach teaching the listening section as I would approach teaching walking. Listening scores can only be improved through extensive listening comprehension practice.
