The purpose of this study is to explore the applicability of goal-setting theory to language learning and testing. The author investigates an existing English education curriculum to suggest the empirical implications of the high-performance cycle model developed in industrial and organizational psychology. The sample English education program, implemented in a national science university in Tokyo, requires all students to achieve a score of 600 or above on the TOEIC® Listening & Reading test as a condition to advance to the senior year. The study suggests possible mechanisms underlying student effort and achievement, including loss avoidance as an important motivating factor and the effect of test-preparation classes on self-efficacy.
