> >
> Actually, there are two pronounciations of the ch, depending on whether it follows a "dark" (o,a,u) or a "bright" (e,i,ä,ö,ü) vowel.

Oh? I didn't know that. Now I know. ^_^

There's a problem with your explanation: I don't know exactly where the ks in English are pronounced, but if it's anything like German, there are two different ones selected intuitively: a palatal and a velar.

Nah, so far as I know, which isn't too terribly far, English ks are all velar. I've been trying the palatal k just now, and I'm either sounding like I'm choking or feeling like I'm swallowing my tongue. ^^

> >
> I could say the same about the alveolar trilled r. I am completely unable to pronounce anything *but* the uvular trilled r (or, sometimes, an untrilled rascalization thereof that results in a [x]) or the soft English r.
>

I'm not good with alveolars, myself. Most of the sounds that're supposed to be alveolar, I do dentally. But I'm special, doncha know. ^^

... and I make my esses lateral. Really. No air coming out of the right half of my mouth. It's -weird-. ^^