I have a Spanish final in six days

[lazarus]

6. thank you

I think what I meant with the subjunctive wasn't so much a one-to-one translation, but rather a frame of mind about a new case. English these days seems to be purely indicative. Young people today say, "I wish I was at the beach," instead of, "I wish I were at the beach." I've had no issues learning to use subjunctive in Spanish. I aced that part of the last exam.

The monitor thing is spot on. I'm going to spend the next few days just writing and speaking. I've already watched some children's programs with the closed captioning on to get a feel for the language.

I'm very motivated to speak and, especially, read Spanish. I think the English Only mentality is provincial and small-minded. Most of the people I interact with here in San Diego are native Spanish speakers. I would love to be able to interact with them on their turf, so to speak.

Oh, and on the "B" vs "V" thing, I just meant I'm able to tell when each is called for. Mostly. It almost seems that it's the opposite sound from what's written, if that makes sense.

Thank you again for your reply, you've helped me a great deal.