More attention has been given to note-taking in EFL classrooms in recent years, probably due to growing numbers of EFL students who attend lectures given in English and the importance of note-taking during language proficiency tests. While textbooks and materials for note-taking practice are readily available, classroom techniques for teaching EFL note-taking abilities are far less abundant. To address the gap in EFL pedagogy, this study investigated a scaffolded, step-by-step instructional cycle for EFL note-taking, beginning with decisions about what, when, and how to record information in conjunction with a formal outline format during lecture listening. Eighty-seven intermediate-level Japanese university EFL learners completed pre- and post-instruction note-taking tasks and a questionnaire related to the instruction. Findings showed that learners recorded more information units and adopted a more visually accessible note-taking format following the instruction. Moreover, they viewed the pedagogical cycle as practical and beneficial.