Some people learn the sounds of a language just by listening. Some learn by first understanding how the new sound system works. I find that getting acquainted can be a good initial step. A map can never replace walking or driving in a real place but it can be of great use.
I will not systematically present the sounds of Chinese here. I only want to mention a few features.
Se-pa-rate
The Chinese language is based around individual characters: one syllable each. So each syllable is very important and contains a lot of meaning. Chi-nese is much more sta-ca-tto than Eng-lish. So pronounce clearly. Do not slur syllables together. Wash – ing -ton not Washton. You can always learn slang later.
Air and no Air.
Be aware that some letters have a lot of air and others do not. Qi versus ji. or chang versus zhang, dao and tao. You need to read pinyin to understand how to pronounce these example words. They are not pronounced as if they were English. I will discuss Pinyin in the next post.
Clear vowels
Chinese sounds clear and distinct vowels.
There is not much more to say generally. All the sounds of Chinese find a reasonably close cousin in English. Listen for the differences. Repeat what you hear. There are three of you learning Mandarin: you, your ears and your body. They all need a lot of input.