This study is done to explore the perception of learners on their use of learning strategies. It is aimed at answering the following questions; a)what do learners perceive as their reading difficulties?, b) what global strategies do learners use when reading texts in English; c)what problem-solving strategies do learners use to overcome difficulties when reading texts in English? d)what support strategies do learners use to overcome difficulties when reading texts in English?; e) is there a relationship between perception of reading difficulties and online reading strategies? Data was elicited via an online survey questionnaire from 225 ESL undergraduates in a public university who have completed an academic reading course. The instrument used is rooted from Abeeleh and Al-Sobh (2021) on reading comprehension problems and also Amer et al (2010) on readers’ perceived use of online reading strategies. The findings indicate a significant relationship between students’ reading difficulties and reading strategies. The data strongly suggest that students feel stressed and have high levels of anxiety when it comes to reading texts in English. The data also revealed that ESL students may be active learners, making efforts to comprehend what they are reading and doing their best to apply problem-solving and support strategies to increase their comprehension. Unfortunately, they struggle to apply the appropriate support strategies to help with their understanding. Clearly, ESL learners still lack an awareness of the effective use of reading strategies to overcome their reading difficulties. The pedagogical implications would suggest an enhancement of reading strategies and a practical use of reading support strategies in ESL reading classrooms to motivate and increase comprehension levels.
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