The development of trilingual education in Kazakhstan is an issue of national importance. The present study was conducted in two of Kazakhstan's universities to investigate the motivational conditions facilitating the learning of English as a third language. The participants were 218 students studying at the M. Auezov South Kazakhstan University, a state educational institution (n=115) and Miras University, a private university (n=103) in the 2019-2020 academic year. Data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire, designed to investigate the students' language use in various settings, their motivation toward learning English, and English proficiency. In addition, a focus group interview was used to obtain supplementary qualitative data. The findings from this study emphasise that to ensure the effectiveness of learning English as a foreign language, improved motivation and organisation are crucial factors.