This study analyzes the motivational factors that guide the purchase decisions of language school consumers in Brazil. The theoretical references on which the study was based use the existing literature on the following subjects: individual factors that determine the consumer`s behavior, motivational theories, the process involved in consumer decision making and the evolution of the language school market in Brazil. The research methodology is presented in detail as are the procedures used in the field work whose data were gathered through 119 in-depth interviews conducted in five Brazilian capital cities using the Laddering Technique proposed by Reynolds and Gutman (1988). The results point out that 3 major motivation groups move language school consumers: Financial and Professional Success, Personal Development and Social Relationship. During the interviews, the subjects of the research separated each motivation into the desired emotional and functional benefits, and these benefits made it possible to identify the most important features language schools must possess to arouse a purchase desire among its consumers. This work was particularly useful to promote the development of competitive strategies for corporations that operate in the language schools segment; more specifically in the development of communication strategies.