Postby Sol Invictus » 2014-05-26, 17:16
I am not sure, it might result in it sounding like you have a lisp and make it hard to understand what you are saying. Mispronunciation of R in itself is a bit more common than other pronunciation problems among native speakers, because it is a hard sound and parents sometimes force their kids to learn it too early (about age of 5 is fine).
I guess trying to get there by fast speaking English words and sounds instead might not work, because it relies on you pronouncing as a native English speaker would. I looked at advice for Latvian parents, which also suggests pronouncing t and d fast (in their version if you say ti and di, you should eventually get ti-di-ri), but it most likely works because r is articulated at spot between where those two sounds are articulated in Latvian, so that way you are bound to accidentally make the move which makes r with your tongue.
Since that is not working for you, just try to replicate how it supposed to do be articulated. The spot where your tongue is supposed to be is behind your front teeth, slightly before the spot at which the roof of your mouth starts to arch (if your tongue is in the right place, but you can't get vibration of r, you should get something like l instead). Lightly press the tip of your tongue against that spot and then move the tip of the tongue just a little bit so that air can escape over it. Try to repeat that movement very quickly, while exhaling to voice the sound. Technically r is pronounced by obstructing the air flow 2-3 times, but it is a sound you can make as long as you like, so I suggest you just try to do the move with your tongue for as long as you can exhale, instead of making other sounds. According the parental guide and a book on Latvian phonetics you should smile when pronouncing it (I don't think I do, but I guess it makes it easier).