International Training in Communication
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International Training in Communication (ITC) is an organization formed in 1938[1] that seeks to help people improve interpersonal skills including speaking, listening and leadership.
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[edit] Membership
ITC has members in many countries on five continents: Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Belgium, Canada, Greece, Iceland, Japan, Malawi, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, South Africa, Thailand, United Kingdom, USA and Zimbabwe. Membership is open to all men and women irrespective of race, colour or creed. New members may participate in ITC’s Accreditation Programme and are entitled to participate in the full range of ITC educational activities including inter-club competitions, Region Conferences and the biennial International Convention.
[edit] Values
[edit] Mission Statement
The mission of ITC is to provide global opportunities for self-improvement through progressive quality training in communication and leadership skills.
[edit] Pledge
We, as members of International Training in Communication, hereby pledge to improve our communication and leadership skills, in order to achieve greater understanding throughout the world.
[edit] Vision
International Training in Communication creates a better world tomorrow by training communicators and developing leaders today.
[edit] Creed
To foster free and open discussion which shall be without bias on all subjects – whether political, economic, racial or religious.
[edit] Motto
To love our language and use it with grace and facility.
[edit] Training and Accreditation
[edit] Training Programme
Each new member who joins ITC is immediately involved in the training programme. This programme is based on a proven combination of various methods, delivered within a club structure.
Learning by doing is absolutely necessary to successfully learn the skill set and confidence developed by ITC. No other method can achieve this on its own. Members are given assignments to prepare and present and they accept the obligation to carry these assignments out in order to progress. Assignments are tailored and programmed according to members’ needs so growth is self-paced; achievable. Each member has access to an extensive range of educational materials to support the practical training and everyone receives constructive evaluative feedback of group and individual performance to support their growth.
Members are encouraged to become involved in the operation of the club, and later, of higher ITC levels, and this is a place to reinforce and develop organisational and leadership/management skills.
In watching and evaluating others’ efforts, members also are using the modelling process to learn. They choose the techniques they recognise as successful and take these to add to their own skills.
And everyone has access to training presentations given by other members. For the trainers, this is part of their development too.
The individual club, and all levels of operation, surround the ITC member with encouragement for growth. In this supportive atmosphere it is easier to face personal challenges and to develop confidence and personal style, without fear.
A ‘Master’ training manual, which is a comprehensive guide to speaking and presentation, is available for all members.
The manual also contains many practical ‘projects’ to provide experience in a variety of different speaking situations including the ‘leading’ of club meetings and the ‘evaluation’ of other speakers.
Other projects include:
- Speech to entertain
- Speech to persuade
- Speech using visual aids
- Storytelling
- Book review
The projects may be completed in any order with no fixed time period though experience suggests that around 2 years provides the optimum level of personal development.
The project ‘specifications’ are not intended to be mandatory and may be adapted to individual needs.
[edit] Structure of ITC
There are various levels within ITC:
- at the grass-roots level there are the CLUBS
- a group of clubs form a COUNCIL
- a group of councils form a REGION
- the highest level is the INTERNATIONAL BOARD
and each level offers opportunities for more advanced development in communication and leadership skills.
[edit] Evaluation
Each speaker at a meeting is normally assigned an ‘evaluator’ who will provide a realistic assessment of the speech together with helpful suggestions for improvement.
The whole concept is to support each other and to gain greater understanding of speaking techniques from analysing the work of fellow club members.
The General Evaluator provides an overall assessment of the meeting.
Of course, evaluations are themselves a speaking opportunity and should be delivered as a ‘structured’ speech.
[edit] Accreditation
The ITC Accreditation Programme is a voluntary 5-level programme offering certification of development. Members who participate can measure their personal growth against a standardized format. It challenges members to develop individual abilities to the fullest extent and at a rate of growth compatible with each lifestyle.
The courses develop sequentially and are based primarily on leadership skills, communicative abilities as a listener and a speaker, and organizational techniques. Some members may choose to complete only certain portions of the programme. For them there will be satisfaction in achieving their own personal goals. Formal recognition will be given only to those members who satisfactorily complete the requirements for each course of the programme.
Certificates are awarded for each level of achievement.
- Effective Communicator (E.C.)
- Proficient Communicator (P.C.)
- Skilled Communicator (S.C.)
- Accomplished Communicator (A.C.)
- Distinguished Communicator (D.C.)
Members following the programme will normally aspire to reach at least the level of Skilled Communicator. The Accomplished Communicator and Distinguished Communicator levels are advanced levels. A Distinguished Communicator is proficient in all areas of communication, evaluation and leadership.
Training and accreditation programmes are regularly updated to meet changing presentation techniques.
[edit] Guaranteed Training Outcomes
International Training in Communication is an organisation that offers opportunities for personal growth that show immediate results.
The ITC Training Programme offers development and growth that is guaranteed. Achievable outcomes include guaranteed improvement in:
Communication Skills - so vital to success in our personal lives but also in our public lives and in our careers
- Presentation skills
- Disciplined discussion techniques
- Effective use of presentation software and overheads
- Listening skills
- Speech making
- Communication with authority and conviction
- Creative writing
- Written Communication
Leadership skills and teamwork - Any organisation – your company, your family, your committee – requires good teamwork to be successful. Team building, Delegation, Motivation, Mentoring and Management Skills
- Meeting procedure for success in meetings
- Efficient and effective meetings
- Report writing
- Efficient organisational skills
- Confident communication
- Planning and organisation of functions/events
- Better sales presentations
Personal Achievement
- Personal growth through developing confidence and a strong personal style
- Overcoming shyness and developing skills to convert anxiety into positive energy
- Developing and presenting thoughts clearly
- Offering and expressing constructive criticism
- Assertiveness
- Greater career and personal recognition
- Continued learning
[edit] PowerTalk
PowerTalk ITC is a modular training programme. Each module may be tailored by a club to its own specifications and needs and takes a minimum of six months to complete. PowerTalk ITC presents opportunities to challenge continuing members with higher levels of training and for new members to learn the latest and the best skills in communication. After having completed the six months and met all the requirements, a certificate will be awarded to the successful members and Accreditation at Level 4 of the Accreditation Programme.
[edit] ITC Zenith & Junior Zenith (School) Programmes
ITC has a Junior Zenith Programme for Primary and Intermediate level and a Zenith Programme for Secondary level students where an ITC Zenith Trainer coaches students in speaking and listening skills.
[edit] Competitions
All clubs participate in the annual speech contest that progresses though club, national and international levels.
There is also a very popular writing contest with sections for fiction, non-fiction and poetry.
[edit] Speech Contest Judge Certification
Club members may apply for ITC Speech Contest Judge certification once all necessary criteria are met. Candidates are assessed at the annual Region ITC Speech Contest Final.
[edit] ITC Corporate Trainer
The Corporate Trainer Programme offers a pathway towards professional training. It can be used to train on behalf of ITC or as a career option, with the possibility of international involvement.
