Strangely enough, I would suggest that you start here: Russian phonology - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia .If something doesn't feel right when you try speaking Russian, just consult the page to learn which sounds are different from English, and HOW they are different. For example, hard t/d/n in Russian are not alveolar but dental (the tip of the tongue is close to your teeth). "Ж" and "Ш" are different from sounds in "pleaSure" and "SHame" in that they have you slightly curve the tip of your tongue BACKWARDS (like in American English "R", only - in real speech - not that much). And that's exactly why it is easy to differentiate between Ш and Щ. You will also learn that the vowel in Russian word "мять" (to caress) is the same as in English "cat" or "map", and such a simple sound as Russian "A" doesn't have an exact correspondence with any English sound - well, at least not in most popular and "standard" dialects.

Palate is, basically, the roof of your mouth. Quite an important thing to have, or else you nose would open right into your mouth (wouldn't want that when having a cold). In Russian it is "нёбо" (don't confuse this with "небо", which means sky). Hard palate is in the front part, and it has a bone. Soft palate (deeper into the mouth) doesn't, hence "soft". Your tongue touches soft palate each time you say "k".

Palatalization means that a consonant gets a variation in it realisation: you raise the middle part of your tongue towards the palate. Which is at the top, anyway, so "raise it higher" is all you need to know. That's why some more in-depth guides suggest that you pronounce a consonant and Y "simultaneously". You see, the vowels differ in their "openness" (and also "frontness"). When you say "Aaah", there's much open space left inside your mouth. By contrast, when you say "ee" as in "meet", your tongue is raised so much that it occupies much space inside your mouth. So, in effect, raising you tongue for palatalization is moving your tongue to a position as if you were going to pronounce "ee". Or at least, something similar.

By the way, I tried watching how I pronounce sounds... When I do soft "K", the tongue is moved up enough to touch completely different part of your mouth. Try to touch an area behind your alveolar ridge with.. well, maybe a spot which is an inch (or a little less) away from the tip of your tongue. And then try saying "keeee..". I usually don't do it that close to the front. But the way I described, it would be practically impossible for you to make normal, "hard: K. Sounds awkward. Either you do it right, or it just doesn't sound well. at all