ISSN: 2782-893X
eISSN: 2799-0664
ISSN: 2782- 893X
—— This study determined the struggles of students towards reading English – its management of challenges, and strategies of learners. Being qualitative, audio-recorded interview was utilized to gather data. Participants were six (6) teachers and fifteen (15) learners of grades 4, 5 and 6 of Mayor Santiago Garcia Memorial School of Mati City, Davao Oriental. The six (6) teachers were interviewed after given time to observe their findings of the learners they chose. Data elicited were transcribed in verbatim, confirmed by the participants, coded and categorized, and themed accordingly. The responses were uttered in Cebuano (Bisaya). The researcher translated this into English for easy understanding. Their responses were analyzed and coded into themes: the brain does not work, center of attraction, acting out oud, it began at home, it continued in school, it’s not for me at all, the common feeling, the incompetent me, the limelight, it comes from within, it wasn’t nursed well, and they’re looking for errors. Overcoming difficulties in English language reading was shared by learners and how they have overcome these through these coping mechanism: acceptance, application, and apathy. The challenges and coping mechanisms of learners in their experiences in English language reading produced the following insights from the learners according to teachers: the compass, the cheerleader, the referee, the English Nazi, and the polyglot. Keywords — English difficulties, English language anxiety, reading struggles, second language learning, English as a Second Language