What's the best way to increase English vocabulary?

Read. Read, read, read, and then read some more. Newspapers are good, but so are contemporary novels or nonfiction. Maybe biographies?

I'd also suggest watching television, but be selective. The news is helpful; most sitcoms probably aren't as helpful although there is some value to understanding slang.

When I was still in elementary school, I used to play this game with my teachers. I would look through the dictionary, find some arcane words, and use them in my compositions.

I remember my sixth grade teacher. I would drive her nuts. She would say that she had to read my work with a dictionary in one hand.

The point was, that over time, my vocabulary was increased immensely.

For ESL/EFL students, sitcoms are much much much much better than the news, Jespah. We don't speak in slang for the vast majority of everyday speech but we do compress language in a dramatic sense.

Understanding compressed speech and becoming familiar with everyday idiom and the numerous phrasal verbs that are used is crucial to becoming a competent English speaker.

I think there's room for both. And you're right that most people don't talk like newsreaders. I would hope, though, that someone learning English wouldn't resort to butt jokes or wait for a laugh track to catch up to everything they say.

Plus, it sort of depends on the age of the sitcom. I recall that Nickelodeon used to (they don't any more) show The Many Lives of Dobie Gillis back in the '80s. This was a sitcom from the early/mid '60s. Saying Daddy-o wouldn't fly today.

I agree, Jespah, there is room for both, but for learning real communicative language skills, nothing beats the language used in everyday life, nothing "sets" vocabulary better than to see it used in a real context.

whats the best way? i would say the best way depends on the person.

If you are looking for "intelligent TV", you might consider watching House MD. It's informative and at time humorous. No one I know died from watching it.

TED videos are an option too.

Oh, and another thought. A lot of people say reading helps build vocab. Maybe it does. But I think what really would benefit you is looking up words that you don't understand in the dictionary.

I've found Freerice very helpful - google it! Unless you're not a native English speaker, in which case, some sort of course?