Despite the growing interest in investigating the practice of mentoring during the practicum regardless of field focus, research is scarce in relation to how mentoring is seen and enacted in the area of English language teaching especially in primary schools. Drawing on interviews with fifteen student teachers and fourteen cooperating teachers, this study reports on the factors which are perceived as obstructive in preparing student teachers for English language teaching during the practicum. The following factors emerged from an analysis of the data: a) lack of subject-matter knowledge, b) prescriptive approach to mentoring, c) problematic mentoring relationship, d) ignorance of roles, e) student teachers' reluctance to be mentored and, f) contextual factors related to failings in the educational system. Implications and suggestions for improving the current practice for preparing general teachers to teach English in primary schools are offered.