The attitude and motivation of twenty-one Venezuelan students learning English at Boston University was assessed using two means: a controlled interview and a bilingual adaptation of the Gardner et al. 1974 Attitude Scales. Neither measure showed statistically significant correlations between positive attitude or strong motivation and progress in second-language learning over a three or six month period. However, interview scores for motivation and culture shock differentiated between the two best and two worst students, suggesting that further exploration of the interview technique would be of value in the assessment of affective factors. (Author)