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If you are like most people, public speaking is not your favorite pastime.
包括您我在內的大多數人，可能不是一有空閒就喜歡做公開演講。

Yet survey after survey shows that presentation skills are crucial to success in the work place.
然而各種調查數據都顯示出 “好的演說及簡報技巧是職場致勝的利器” 。

The person with strong communication skills has a clear advantage over tongue-tied
在競爭激烈的職場中，若您擁有良好的溝通技巧則就會較表達能力欠佳的同事有顯著的優勢。

colleagues – especially in a competitive job market. Many people pay thousands of dollars for seminars to gain the skill and confidence necessary to face an audience.
很多人也許花了不少錢報名參加各種如何增強自信心及面對群眾之技巧的研討會。

But there's another option that is less expensive and held in high regard in business circles – Toastmasters International. This organization has been around for nearly 80 years and offers a proven – and enjoyable! – way to practice and hone the communication and leadership skills of its members.
現在有一種只要花費很少的錢，又廣為世界知名企業界所普遍採行的另一種選擇­ – “參加國際演講會”，這個組織已有超過八十年的歷史，提供一種證明很有效且很有趣的學習方式，讓所有參加的會員能在演講會之例會參與中，練習和精進溝通和領導技巧。

From one club started in 1924 at the YMCA in Santa Ana, California, Toastmasters has grown to become the world's leading organization helping people conquer their pre-speech jitters.
第一個演講會在 1924 年創立於美國加州聖塔安娜的基督教青年會，國際演講會目前已成為世界最大的非營利性教育組織並且有效的協助大家克服演講時的恐懼感。

Since that first club was organized by Dr. Ralph C. Smedley, nearly four million men and women have enjoyed the benefits of Toastmasters membership. The nonprofit organization now has approximately 211,000 members in 10,500 clubs in 90 countries.
第一個演講會是由史邁德利博士所創立，全世界已有超過四百萬的會友享受過國際演講會所提供的造就及訓練，目前在九十個國家地區共有超過一萬個分會及二十一萬一千位國際演講會會員。

How Does it Work? 國際演講會是如何運作呢?
A Toastmasters club is a “learn-by-doing” workshop in which men and women hone their skills in a comfortable, friendly atmosphere. A typical club has 20 to 40 members who meet weekly or biweekly to learn and practice public speaking techniques. The average club meeting lasts approximately one-two hours. Membership is affordable; total annual fees are usually less than $100 (U.S.).
國際演講會是一個 ”做中學” 的工作坊，每位會員在舒適且友善的環境中學習各種領導及溝通技巧，每個演講會約有二十到四十個會員在每週或隔週聚會一次，每次一到兩個小時，一起學習演講溝通技巧，每年之會員費大約台幣三千元。

Those joining a Toastmasters club learn communication skills by working in the Communication Program manual, a series of 10 speaking assignments designed to instill a basic foundation in public speaking.
每位參加的會員根據”演講及溝通手冊”之不同訴求的十個演講講次訓練建立好公開演講的基礎。

When finished with the first speech manual, members can select from among 15 advanced manuals to develop speaking skills that are geared to specific interests.
當會員完成基本演講溝通手冊的十篇演講後，每位會員就可以從另外十五本進階演講手冊中選擇自己喜歡的手冊來精練該特別領域項目的演講技巧。

They are: Public Relations, Specialty Speeches, The Entertaining Speaker, Speaking to Inform, The Discussion Leader, Speeches by Management, The Professional Speaker, Persuasive Speaking, Technical Presentations, Communicating on Television, Storytelling, Interpretive Reading, Interpersonal Communication, Special Occasion Speeches and Humorously Speaking.
這十五本進階演講手冊之項目分別為: 公關演講、特殊主題演講、娛樂演講、告知演講、研討會主持人演講、管理演講、職業演講、銷售演講、技術簡報演講、電視演講、說故事演講、詮釋演講、人際溝通演講、特別場合演講、幽默演講。

Members also develop and practice leadership skills by working in the Competent Leadership manual, the High Performance Leadership Program as well as serving as leaders at various organizational levels.
會員也可以從領導手冊，高效能領導計劃及擔任演講會的各級幹部，精進其個人之領導技巧。

There is no instructor in a Toastmasters club. Instead, members evaluate one another's oral presentations and leadersip skills. This evaluation process is an integral component of the overall educational program. Toastmasters members also give impromptu talks on assigned topics, conduct meetings, serve as officers in various leadership roles and learn parliamentary procedure.
在演講會中並沒有設立講師制度，而是由會員間相互評量其他會友的演講及領導技巧，這種由其他會員講評的過程也已結合了整體教育訓練的精華，演講會會員也要練習針對特別指定主題的即席演講，主持會議，擔任各級領導幹部及學習議事規則。

The effectiveness of this simple learning formula is evidenced by the thousands of corporations that sponsor in-house Toastmasters clubs. These clubs serve as public-speaking and leadership training workshops for employees. Every year, more and more business and government organizations are discovering that Toastmasters is the most effective, cost-efficient means of satisfying their communication training needs. Toastmasters clubs can be found in the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives, as well as in a variety of community organizations, prisons, universities, hospitals, military bases and churches.Community Service
這一套簡單有效的學習公式已被數千家國際企業之國際演講會分會證實有效，這些公司贊助成立的演講會以這些有效的方式來訓練員工，每年都不斷有不同之調查研究單位證實參加國際演講會是最有效及經濟的訓練溝通技巧的教育組織，在美國國會、社區、監獄、大學、醫院、軍隊、教會及社區服務機構到處都可看到國際演講會。

Toastmasters also benefit their communities by conducting the following types of programs:
而國際演講會會員也可透過舉辦以下的訓練來服務社會:

YOUTH LEADERSHIP – public speaking training for junior and high school students.
青年領袖營 -- 訓練中學生的公開演講技巧

SPEECHCRAFT – a “short course” in public speaking for adults in business, education, industry and government.演講技巧訓練 -- 針對各種企業團體組織所提供的短期訓練課程

SPEAKERS BUREAU – to help other nonprofit organizations and community and government groups tell their stories to the community.
菁英演講團 – 協助政府及非營利性組織對社區民眾宣導演講

GAVEL CLUBS – bringing Toastmasters training to prisons and other institutions.
特殊演講會 -- 針對監獄及某些特殊機構團體提供國際演講會的訓練

SUCCESS/LEADERSHIP and SUCCESS/COMMUNICATION PROGRAMS – educational modules in a how-to format on topics such as conducting productive meetings, effective listening, parliamentary procedure, evaluation, creative thinking, leadership, management and training.
成功領導及成功溝通訓練課程 -- 針對不同需求主題提供解決方法之訓練，例如: 如何有效主持會議？、有效聆聽技巧、議事規則、講評訓練、創造性思考、領導技巧、管理技巧訓練 … 等。

Step out of the Comfort Zone  跨出舒適領域

Commitment to Success    信守承諾 堅持成功

Steve Tung, DTM     董世瑜  敬上 Cell: 0937-047-543

LGET, D67        教育副總會長  中華民國國際演講協會