Developing an advanced reading ability is essential for English for Academic Purposes (EAP) students’ success. Although research in first language (L1) reading has indicated the importance of motivation in understanding students’ reading development over time, the role of motivation in second language (L2) reading has been relatively underexplored (cf. Mori, 2002, 2004; Takase, 2007). This research adds to a small but growing set of results that examine L2 reading motivation and its relationship to comprehension abilities. A motivation questionnaire was developed for this research from the perspective of Self-Determination Theory (e.g., Deci & Ryan, 1985). The questionnaire was administered to 1,400 students enrolled in 52 English language programs at U.S. colleges and universities. The results were analyzed through factor analysis and cluster analysis to examine the multidimensionality of L2 reading motivation and to identify motivational patterns that are distinct among groups of students. The relationship between dimensions of reading motivation and reading comprehension ability was also explored.  

The results indicate that EAP students’ L2 reading motivation consisted of four dimensions: intrinsic motivation and three different types of extrinsic motivation. Additionally, five distinct motivational profiles were identified among the students; for instance, one group of students demonstrated high intrinsic motivation and low extrinsic motivations, whereas another group showed both high extrinsic and intrinsic motivations. These motivation dimensions and student profiles were correlated with students’ reading comprehension scores. Intrinsic motivation was the only dimension that positively correlated with students’ reading comprehension scores, and this tendency influenced the relationships between students’ motivational profiles and reading comprehension scores. The results of the study demonstrate that intrinsic and extrinsic motivations are useful concepts to define L2 reading motivation. The results also support the importance of intrinsic motivation, which is consistent with a general tendency reported in the literature.