This article presents the findings of an analysis of a daily diary, or language learning journal, kept by a Japanese college-level ESL learner in the target language (TL) environment. The analysis resulted in the identification of65 factors which were involved in the diarist's second language (L2) learning experience over an 8-week period of intensive study in the ESL classroom. Several oftbe more prominent personal factors are discussed, separately and in their relation to other factors, and the results are compared with past diary studies. Significant findings include the effects of positive feedback on learner motivation, the importance of affective classroom climate for the leamer's L2 development, and the role of selfawareness and self-analysis in the diarist's L2 learning process
