Spent on Spanish

I'm sitting in my dorm room, trying to avoid studying for a Spanish quiz. After taking Spanish every year in High School and first semester, I am beyond the point of being burnt out. From conjugating verbs and flipping through my book of translations (in an attempt to figure out what in this great Earth my teacher was saying), I have grown weary. It has gotten so bad that I have begun thinking certain phrases in Spanish. To me, that girl isn't a girl: she's a chica. My friends roll their eyes when I use Spanglish, and it's only growing worse as the days roll by.

Now, many people would say this is a good thing because I am getting some Spanish education and I am being exposed to a different culture. Some would argue that I am breaking out of the ignorant American role. However, I am not good at speaking Spanish. In fact, chica is one of the few words I can use properly. Nine semesters of Spanish later, and I am learning little but getting A's in my Spanish classes. I am stuck somewhere in limbo between being interested in Spanish and not wanting to learn anything more. Where should the blame be placed for this predicament? Teachers and professors who do not teach more practical Spanish and require we speak it? Yes and no. Yes, because many teachers spoon feed their students with the answers and do not challenge them with oral questions. No, because many Spanish students don't care. I too, am extremely guilty of memorizing verbs, taking the test, and forgetting them instantly. My goal this semester is to actually try and learn Spanish as a language, and not just as individual words and phrases.