Learning Vocabulary

When I went to Argentina I had only studied English for a couple months.  I could talk about the LDS church and the gospel of Jesus Christ but I didn't know very many other words.  I kept a notebook in my bag and when I hear or saw a word I didn't know I would write it down and then I would figure out what it meant.  Sometimes I asked my companion, and sometimes I would look it up in my English/Spanish dictionary.  Sometimes people I knew would correct me - they would tell me that I was using a word wrong and tell me how to use the word or tell me a word I could use to say what I wanted to say.  I was grateful for all the help that they gave me.

One of the challenges of learning English is learning all the words.  How do you learn words and increase your vocabulary in English?  Do you use flashcards? Do you ask other people for help? Do you use a dictionary? Write about how you learn English.