This paper explores the perceptions of senior high school pupils in Shanghai regarding their motivation towards learning English and their perceived influence on this of important others (parents, teachers and peers). The study is based on 610 questionnaire responses and 64 interviews. The findings indicate that their English learning motivation is dominated by life and career-based reasons rather than intrinsic or integrative reasons. The influence of important others was perceived as being positive but small, with teachers being viewed as the most influential. (Contains 4 tables.)