This study examines the motives behind the choice to learn French as a foreign language (FLE) among students at an upper secondary school in Sweden. Our focus is the role these motives play in learning outcomes and whether a relation exists between them and academic performance. The study uses a quantitative methodology and draws upon Self-Determination Theory and Achievement Goal Theory. The results reveal that academic achievement in learning French within a formal school setting is associated with extrinsic motives and suggest that in such context extrinsic motives can prove more effective than intrinsic ones.