The present study focuses on investigating the problems and difficulties facing EFL learners regarding English collocations. It reports the various factors influencing the process of reception and production of English collocations. To achieve the purposes of the study, two tests were given to 25 students majoring in English Language and Literature at the Department of English at Al-Baath University: a gap-filling productive test and a multiple-choice receptive test. There was also a translation productive test (from Arabic into English), and it was given to 25 students majoring in translation in the open learning program at the same department. The three tests were analyzed and then results and findings were presented. The results showed that the participants had poor collocational knowledge and their reception and production of collocations was unsatisfactory, but they performed better in the receptive test. The study also concluded that they sometimes resorted to their first language or to paraphrasing the collocational expression. They made other types of error like general errors (completely irrelevant answers) and leaving blank answers. Moreover, it was found that the students majoring in translation performed slightly better than the students majoring in English Language and Literature. Finally, the study concluded with implications for pedagogy.