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Internalizing Western culture can facilitate English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) learners’ motivation to learn and confidence to use English. However, the role of heritage cultural internalization and the interactive impact of Western and heritage cultural internalizations on English learning are unclear. We surveyed 172 EFL students from Macao and found that those who internalized Western culture to a greater extent indeed held more a positive view towards English learning and were more autonomous learners, which in turn predicted their confidence in using English. However, for those who internalized Western culture to a lesser extent, internalizing Chinese culture was also linked to positive attitudes and English use confidence. These findings suggest that a strong heritage cultural orientation is also important for EFL learners’ English language development, especially among those do not embrace Western culture. This research suggests that language researchers and teachers should pay attention to learners’ orientations towards not only the target culture but also their heritage culture.
