Best way to learn vocabulary ?

What's the best way to learn vocabulary in any language ? E.g., should I train to translate texts with a dictionary or learn lists of words ?
What's YOUR method ?

your mom's my method.

I would not recommend it. Quite outdated. Most useful if you love dead tongues.

Go into a dicionary. Go through each word every day. Pick one, and use it all day. Do this long enough and you master pretty much all the words you tried. However, this could take you a long time, it depends on what pace you want to go at.

RAPE A TREE!!!!

Word cards work pretty well for me. Put the Japanese on one side, and the English translation on the other. When reading through, don't just try and translate them from Japanese to English, flick them over and try translating them from English to Japanese. If you can do it both ways, you're on the way. However, I wouldn't stick to just this method, try using all your newly aquired vocabulary as much as possible to futher consolidate your learning.

That's my method, anyway.

Do lots of little things. Try a bit of cold list learning, then try a bit of translation from a text, then some listening and speaking, if you can find anyone.

As above, translating both ways is vital. Try translating an English book, or radio programme etc. as well, if you are able.
I find the best way to remember words is learn the origins of the word itself, which is rather easier to do in Japanese than other languages, but still...

Don't do anything show this fucking vocabulary who's the boss.

>>5

I lol'd

>>1
Most important of all is to actually make use of the words. You're never going to get the feel for the word by simply looking up the meaning of it. Your language is going to sound really awkward.

>>15
ahh, I'm currently studying the language of the beaners on my own.