Lee, I., & Kim, J. (2014, September). The effect of self-directed English learning on the reading performance of Korean college students utilizing a read-aloud program. Paper presented at the meeting of KAMALL Annual Conference 2014, Seoul, Korea. [Abstract] The study investigated the relationship between the performance of Korean college students who used a read-aloud computer program and their capability to perform Self-Directed English Learning (SDEL). Currently, there is a lot of interest in SDEL and Multimedia-Assisted Language Learning (MALL). At the forefront of this interest is the effect that multimedia programs have on language learners, along with their capability to properly use SDEL. Based on this rising interest, a research question was proposed: After using the Reading Assistant program over a thirteen week period, was the performance of the students directly related to their ability to use SDEL? The participants were 43 Korean college students at a university in Daejeon. The pertinent information of these participants is as follows: 15 males and 19 females, ages ranging from 22 to 27 years old, Intermediate English level, and all of whom were TESOL majors. These students studied English using a read-aloud program called Reading Assistant for 13 weeks in the spring of 2014. This program is an online read-aloud program which is equipped with automatic speech recognition software. This type of software aims at improving the reading fluency and accuracy of the students. The students were asked to read English books aloud as they were grouped with five other members, and they were further requested to meet with their coaches once a week for 13 weeks. The entire performance of the students was recorded automatically on the program server. The data included the following criteria: length of study time, WCPM (words corrected per minute), number of books, study progress rate (quiz score and WCPM), and highest reading level. At the beginning of the experiment, the students were also asked to fill out the online SDEL Questionnaire, which was developed and run by the researchers’ university. The ten features of self-directedness are: (1) interpersonal ability, (2)self-esteem, (3) self-confidence, (4) anxiety with English, (5) goals, (6) motivation, (7) self-directedness, (8) information process ability, (9) self-understanding, and (10) overall level. [...]