I’ve got some basics, plus each time I visit I realise I’m understood and understand more each time so I’m getting better….but when I speak it sounds so awful out loud…. I’m told I need to act French as I speak and it will sound better 
Also, cultivating a pout helps. You can’t really pronounce the “u” sound properly without it (or at least I can’t)
You need to listen as much as possible as well. Listen to French radio and watch French tv, I always had the French subtitles as well. I found it best when the programme was easy to follow so I knew what was going on and there were a lot of context clues to help know what they’re talking about. My favourite series for that was Bienvenue Chez Nous where it was obvious they were talking about the bedroom, the meals, the building etc.
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We watch stuff on Netflix for example with French subtitles switched on. That way you can learn and be entertained at the same time as learning how the French express certain ideas.
For example one character may spend several minutes shouting abuse at another character and the French subtitle pops up …
“Putain”
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Must be honest, I haven’t read ALL responses. Many are spot on. But I’m going to stick my neck out (as a French person who normally speaks English).
I get the feeling that Brits do not always hear quite right or sometimes/often the French do not pronounce well, in fact they do not speak well.
To the point: all those comments saying people say “je prends” are not correct. It may sound that way but the reality is they are saying either:
Jvais prendre (most common)
Jprendrai
You see they contract a lot. A bit like when they mean there is and they say: YA for “il y a” or YAPPA for " il n’y a pas" or ESKIA for “est-ce qu’il y a?”
I specialize in teaching the sounding of French to English speakers. Just trying to help!
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Or even “un tout petit problème” which is an order of magnitude smaller again 
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Ha, I agree - although in fairness I’m not sure it’s limited only to Brits… For years, my French missus thought the Brits she worked with were saying they “couldn’t be asked” to do something 
In my case, it took me way longer than it should have done to realise it’s “quand même” and not “comme même”. And for a very long time I always thought French people were being rude when they’d say “basta”.
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I think it comes naturally as one spends more time actually speaking French. And one’s ear attunes to what you hear.
After all it is something English speakers do a lot in their own language.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/course/towards-advanced/unit-6/session-5
I always struggled to say, as the Spanish do, “give me a coffee”.
I want to put in a “I would like”, followed by a “please”.
A lot of Spanish phrases seem strangely short to me.
It’s a giveaway that you aren’t French. Try saying “une bouteille”.
You have to to really go for that “u”.
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I know - according to our French teacher I don’t have a problem with “u” but my partner does. He gets it if he pouts firmly while saying “eee” 
That’s how I was taught to do it.
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Love it! Well it makes me smile a lot in life as I hear both sides BUT sometimes I am at the receiving end as although I am French (left when I was 18), because I hardly spoke it for 30 yrs, I had to re-learn it and sometimes I am influenced by my English! It is hard to be sure at times, even in my original post as if I check with French people, they often speak “badly”, like my mum!
At the risk of turning this into a lecture, for “bouteille”, there’s no U sound. It’s like this:
BOOT
followed by the sound you do when calling (somewhat rudely) someone: HEY but dropping the H.
I have hardly ever heard it said correctly by English speakers. So don’t feel bad!
Have you tried FAUTEUIL and ECUREUIL!
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Indeed, it’s not just a question of language but different culture, way of saying things. It gives me a lot of headaches when teaching and sometimes I can’t help but being influenced by my English even though I am French.
Hahah…me too! I left England at 18 …44 years ago and now I need to watch British tv/film with English subtitles!
TOOPTEE you mean!!!
Gosh! What will happen to me? Lost my French ability to speak naturally after 30 yrs (I still understood mostly), now I have been back in France for 18 yrs with English (no French) hubby (he is excused as has dementia), my English friends are all going back to UK or dying. What will happen to my English?!?!
And I am still working at my French. Dear dear me!
Just a pout will give the OO (English sound) or OU (French), the pout must be pointed down to give the French U.
I hope you see this Angela, I’m slightly struggling with the order or replies in this group. Apologies to ALL!
I have just figured out how to respond so I have gone a bit beseurk this morning!