The present study aims to describe the challenges as perceived by novice teachers of English as a foreign language (EFL). The participants of the study were seven (7) novice EFL teachers in public primary and secondary schools in Turkey. The data sources include semi-structured interviews, diary entries, video-recorded classroom observations and stimulated recall interviews. The results, discussed in relation to pre-service and in-service teacher education, suggested that the novice EFL teachers started out their pedagogical journey amid competing and interacting challenges.