Abstract

Learners come equipped with an eclectic blend of characteristics and past experiences, which serve to either facilitate or hinder their motivation to acquire a second or foreign language. This study consisted of two phases: First, Exploratory Factor analysis was used to investigate the motivational variables of 604 college freshmen learning English as a Foreign Language (EFL) at the United Arab Emirates University. Second, multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was employed to examine the effects of gender, size of geographical area, and English proficiency level on the five motivation components that emerged from factor analysis. Results revealed significant effects of gender and English proficiency level; however, no main effect was found for the size of geographical area.