Identifying the Learning Styles of TESOL Master's Students in King Abdul-Aziz University

This study aims at exploring the concept of LEARNING STYLES in the context of second language acquisition, and it also seeks to identify the learning styles of 16 TESOL Master’s students. The study is divided into two main parts. Part one is a theoretical framework. It covers the concept of learning from a second language acquisition perspective, individual differences and personality in SLA, personality & learning, adults’ perception of learning, learning styles and culture, the differences between learning style and learning strategies, the relationship between learning style and cognitive style, broader models of learning style, and finally learning style and teaching. The second part is a case study which attempts to investigate the learning styles of around 16 TESOL masters students. The data-gathering tool was VAK learning styles measurement tool which aims to identify the learning styles of students according to three main styles: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. The most important findings are that the majority of students’ learning styles are auditory, few are visual, and only three out of 16 are visual auditory; while one candidate is visual kinesthetic. Keyword: Learning, learning styles, individual differences, personality traits, the Big Five, VAK measurement tool, learning style models