Pronunciation

http://spanish.about.com/od/spanishpronunciation/Learn_Spanish_Pronunciation.htm

I spent part of a day pronouncing Spanish words and getting my tongue acclimated to the sounds. That is a way you can assess if you are having problems with the sounds in the language, and what sounds are more problematic for you.

Later, I thought of pronouncing English words with Spanish pronunciation just to be a bit silly. It actually helped me place the sounds in Spanish next to English sounds, and my brain was able to study how the mind and tongue worked together to pronounce foreign sounds.

For instance, I pronounced "State and Lake" (train station) as "stahtay y lahkay."
Even though it didn't make sense to the ear, and in print, it looked so incorrect, I was able to see what Spanish speakers may be doing when they pronounce English words.

It helps you to put yourself in their shoes.

On the other hand, what would happen if they pronounced Spanish words with an English accent or an English pronunciation? It would be humorous. For example, "casa" may turn out to be "quesay" or "cahsay." (If you took each letter phonetically and literally, that is.) "Casa" is a common word in the United States, and so most people pronounce it 'as is.'(with the Spanish pronunciation intact)

If you ever meet young children that first arrive to the states or their families, you will hear the Spanish pronunciation being used for English letters and vowel sounds. That is what gives them an accent. Even after years of staying in the states or learning English, you will hear the subtle accents of their original tongues.

Write down a few words in Spanish and English. Reverse sounds for both groups. Try to formulate how and when your brain wants to use English and when it wants to use Spanish. It will be informative to you about your own choices regarding sounds, and you will be able to see the accent you bring to the language, whether it is an English one or a Spanish one.

Have fun with it!

If you want actual pronunciations of letters, go to the link at the top of the page from a site called, "About.com," and you will be able to hear them in certain instances as well.

Best wishes and good luck with all the Spanish you are learning!