Abstract
It is often argued that the Japanese university entrance examinations dominate the whole educational process, including the practice of EFL. However, this type of argument has rarely been tested empirically. This research attempts to cast some light on this issue, with special reference to the relationship between university entrance examinations and the use of the grammar-translation approach to teaching in the years leading up to the examination. Classroom observations indicate that teacher factors, such as educational background, personal beliefs and teaching experience may outweigh the possible effect of the entrance examinations. The article concludes with several suggestions for future research.
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