A study combined a motivation survey and needs assessment of 10 students enrolled in the 1993 summer session of an academic intensive English program at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Extension. In the first week of classes, the subjects completed a questionnaire and wrote journal entries about their motivations (acculturation or integration; instrumental; and achievement) for second language learning. They were then asked to rank their educational needs and discuss them in class and write a second journal entry. In the fourth week of instruction, the questionnaire and journal assessment were given again and compared. The experiment attempted to probe the effectiveness of both questionnaire and journal in identifying the source of the student's motivation, and to explore his own perceptions of his English language needs. Results indicate a marked discrepancy in both degree and nature of motivation as portrayed in the questionnaire and journal entries. Questionnaire responses indicated that the subjects had difficulty understanding items phrased negatively or having more than one proposition. Also, much of the journal writing on language study was phrased in a way that prevented clear attribution of motivation. Journal entries commonly requested more listening practice and more information about American culture. Implications for program design are discussed. (MSE)