Motivational factors have inspired university students to make a considerable amount of effort in their language accomplishment. To stretch this line of inquiry, the present study adopted a mixed-methods approach to identify the role of motivational factors in Iraqi university students. To achieve this purpose, 200 students were selected based on convenience sampling from various universities in Iraq. The participants were required to fill in the MTB designed by Gardner (1985). Moreover, through running semi-structured interviews, the researchers delved into the motivational orientations of the participants. To analyze quantitative data, a t-test was employed. In the qualitative phase, the obtained data were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed based on thematic analysis. In this regard, eight themes emerged encompassing intrinsic and extrinsic motivational resources. Factors, including being an English teacher, personal development, interest in learning English, were categorized as intrinsic motivational sources, while factors such as seeking job opportunity, maintaining education abroad, travelling, and enhancing professional competencies were detected as extrinsic motivational sources. Furthermore, the findings were discussed and interpreted in light of empirical findings, and several implications were proposed for policymakers and university instructors.
