This study aimed to investigate the enhancements of Self Directed Learning (SDL) on tertiary-level students' English reading skills in a private university context and their perceptions towards it. Thirty-eight first-year English-major subjects participated in a 6-week experiment. A mixed method of quantitative and qualitative approaches was used for data collection with four instruments: 1) English reading texts; 2) pre- and post-tests to measure the enhancements of students' reading skills using SDL; 3) students' journals; and 4) a questionnaire. The quantitative data was analyzed by SPSS, while the qualitative data was analyzed using thematic content. The results showed that the mean of the post-test was higher than the pre-test, indicating that SDL significantly enhanced students' English reading skills. Students' journals revealed that these students lacked the skills needed to read effectively in English. The questionnaire discovered that most students had favorable opinions of SDL, though a few were negative about it. This confirms the relationship between SDL and improving the English language and approves the role of reading in SDL, thus providing a reference for future learners to learn other foreign languages. In addition, schools and teachers can also realize the help that SDL can bring to students and make corresponding improvements.