If a symbol appears between oblique lines, like /s/, this shows that it is a significant sound in the language being studied, in this case English. The technical term for a significant sound is a phoneme.
You will be aware that the English alphabet has only 26 symbols to represent its orthography (writing system). The phonemic chart of English contains upwards of 40 symbols, which better represent the sounds of the language. Some of the phonemes may look familiar, but some have been specially devised to show specific sounds, such as the one which represents the ng at the end of words such as sing, ring, thing. The chart below shows the phonemic chart of the English variety known as Received Pronunciation (RP), or SBS (Southern British Standard), or even BBC English.
You will be aware that the English alphabet has only 26 symbols to represent its orthography (writing system). The phonemic chart of English contains upwards of 40 symbols, which better represent the sounds of the language. Some of the phonemes may look familiar, but some have been specially devised to show specific sounds, such as the one which represents the ng at the end of words such as sing, ring, thing. The chart below shows the phonemic chart of the English variety known as Received Pronunciation (RP), or SBS (Southern British Standard), or even BBC English.
You may find that your own accent differs from RP, as this will depend on the accent prevalent where you come from, or what you may have picked up on your travels. RP is useful as it provides a 'target' for foreign learners who wish to sound 'more English'. As you learn more about the students you meet, you will find that most do not mind where the teacher's accent comes from and you might be interested in the section on English as a Lingua Franca.