This paper presents the components influenc-ing English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learningdemotivation and resilience.Semi-structured interviewdata from 23 EFL students and nine teachers were the-matically analyzed guided by the Grounded Theoryapproach after systematicreiterative comparativereviewing. The major demotivators were teachers’ lackof clear delivery for elementary school students, exces-sive afterschool learning programs at private institutesfor junior high school students, and impractical EFLlessons focusing on grammar rather than spoken Englishfor high school students. In order to curb these demoti-vators and maintain high EFL learning motivation levels,four distinctive components influencing their resiliencewere identified: social support, emotional regulation, aclear learning goal, and tenacity in EFL learning. Thisstudy illustrates that emotional regulation, not negativeemotions such as anxiety, is crucial, and students’ clearlystated short-term learning goal is a crucial component inmaintaining high academic resilience. Participants cul-tivated specific components influencing resilience as theyadvanced academically. Additionally, high-proficiencyEFL students exhibited greater tenacity and utilizedvarious coping strategies.We argue for the necessity torefine the sub-constructs ofEFL learning demotivationand resilience and recommendthe need for a follow-upconfirmatory study to prove the conceptual validity ofthese constructs

• A Qualitative Inquiry on EFL Learning Demotivationand Resilience: A Study of Primary and Secondary EFL Studentsin South Korea