It is often said that the best way to master something is to do it regularly for an extended length of time. Whether one is learning to write kanji, read music, play a sport, master a craft, or understand another language, each process demands large amounts of time and commitment. Time on task has long been recognized as one of the most reliable predictors of success in attaining proficiency in a second language. Despite this, however, few Japanese English students receive either an adequate amount of classroom instruction or sufficient amounts of practice using the language practice to develop more than rudimentary language facility. Extensive reading (ER) and extensive listening (EL) are two means of addressing this problem. I will explain how EL is able to help learners overcome some of the barriers they face in learning a second language, examine EL for the challenges it poses L2 learners, and provide a few guidelines for instructors who wish to incorporate extensive listening as a component of a language teaching program
