This qualitative study examined the strategies to learn vocabulary used by second level students at a Colombian University. Six college learners enrolled in an English proficiency program participated. This study comprises: direct observation, in depth open ended interviews and written documents. The results were reported according to five categories: English proficiency and habits of reading, Beliefs about Vocabulary Learning, Guessing Strategies, Dictionary Strategies and Anxiety and Motivation. The findings showed that learners appeal to one or two strategies; memorization by repetition, and the use of dictionary are the most commonly used. Context and linguistic clues are elements that students employ for deciphering the meaning of words but not to learn vocabulary. Actions must be followed to correct and improve their learning styles to have them develop fluency and accuracy when using English.