Abstract: Reading strategies have been considered one of the most valuable tools for language learners to overcome difficult reading task. This mixed method study investigated reading difficulties experienced by 75 high school English language learners at three schools in Thai Nguyen Province, Vietnam. The instruments used in the study consist of two questionnaires. The results reveal that most of the learners experience vocabulary understanding (87%). The second ranking challenge belongs to problems handling lengthy reading (81%). The time pressure ranks third with 78%. The findings also indicated that most of the strategies are reported using at moderate and high level, except for GRS1, GRS2, GRS3 and PSRS3 (M<2.5). The most preferred strategies include PSRS7, PSRS8, SRS1, SRS2, SRS6, SRS7, SRS9 (M>3.5).