This study investigated the relationship between the theory of Emotional Intelligence (EI), language learners' motivational orientations, and motivational learning effort and achievement in Spanish as a foreign language. Two self-report questionnaires were completed by 144 beginning and intermediate students. Although results indicated that the two groups did not differ in their EI scores, intermediate students with higher scores on the integrative and instrumental orientations obtained higher scores on the utilization subdomain of EI. The EI regulation subdomain correlated with intermediate students' integrative orientation. And EI was indirectly related to intermediate students' class participation only if they have an integrative orientation. It is proposed that EI's role in SLA increases as students' proficiency level increases.