This thesis deals with the effect of motivation on second language learning among Hungarian learners of English. The aim is to obtain a full understanding of the effect of motivation on second language learning, what type of motivation the majority of Hungarian students possess, and what type of motivation correlates with high level of achievement. The hypothesis that is adopted for this research claim that the majority of students are instrumentally oriented to learn English as a second language, but high achievers are more integratively motivated than instrumentally motivated. The findings of this study has proved my hypothesis and reinforced the results of other similar studies.