Take it easy,it will be ok gradually!

Chinese schools sometimes use English Phonetics, which is just a fraction of IPA due to English's limited sounds and extra reduction for simplified learning. 44 symbols i believe. it's so easy, i could type phonetic symbols if there was a keyboard. it's of limited use to learners because of poor grasp of phonic sounds. can't explain why exactly, but it's definitely cultural. at least it helps people read pronunciation in dictionaries. for young kids, simple phonics starts them off, to get rid of those awful pinyin sounds.

as for American vs. London english, it takes a while to explain that people shouldn't go to MacD's in New York and ask for a hambuhguh, even though that's what English dictionaries dictate. i tell people that US (coastal) english is closer to neutral speech, and American is usually what they want to emulate anyway. it's cooluh (a pinyin error)

Yeah, I can concur with other users here that IPA is not that hard to learn and is quite easy once you start to use it a few times. In the textbook I like to use, it helps a lot with words that are reduced (will try to add picture). Also you can do a search on bing.com on "IPA chart". Also almost all of my students have known what it is and for the most part can say the words better then if I actually wrote the real words. Sorry if picture is gigantic.