Best way to learn vocabulary?

Hey! This is the second part of a previous post. Now you can vote on what method do you think is the most effective to learn new words. Feel free to comment on your answer, I am interested!

I would choose "other". I think we all learn vocabulary chiefly from massive exposure and usage. The techniques you list above can speed up the process, but:

1) they aren't necessary

2) if not supported by massive exposure and usage they won't work in the long run

That being said, I actually use, or have used, all of these in my studies. These days I use anki, an SRS, which is sort of like electronic flashcards on steroids, more than the others.

Oh, and the reading tool here may actually be the best of both worlds. You get a quick reminder of what a word means on the fly WHILE you are getting that massive exposure. Highly recommended.

I agree: words without context are far from useful because you can't make connections between them. And I also agree with the fact that remembering vocabulary by heart isn't really necessary. However, when talking about an auxiliary study method, I believe some methods may be more effective than others while studying just vocabulary.

 I was curious about this because I had been told people retain more when writing down on paper than when writing on a computer. I find it surprising that people are more at ease with e-flashcards! In this case, it's probably quicker and easier to have them all together in an online database, rather than trying to organize a notebook or buying paper cards. 

And after having used the reading tool I can also recommend it. It's great for texts above your current level and gives instant context input. I believe the more people on this site starts using it, the more useful it will be, so give it a try!

I don't think any of them is effective methods of obtaining vocabulary. Stories that are very comprehensible, is the absolute best way. This way you will acquire the words in context. if the words are important enough in the target language you will run into them all the time, and you will naturally acquire them by exposure and comprehension. Its a process of forgetting and learning and forgetting and learning, that will solidify your understanding of the words. The words will come naturally. :)