esitelmää

Esitelmä is a spoken presentation, commonly assigned in Finnish schools and educational contexts. It refers to a prepared talk on a topic, delivered to an audience, often accompanied by brief notes or visual aids. The term derives from Finnish verb esitellä “to present” and the noun suffix -mä, indicating a performance or act of presenting.

In educational settings, esitelmä is used to develop research, planning, and public speaking skills. A typical esitelmä has a clear structure: introduction that states the topic and aim, a body that presents main points supported by facts, examples, or sources, and a conclusion that summarizes the key points. Speakers may reference sources orally during the talk and provide a written or printed bibliography. Visual aids such as posters or slides may be used, but the emphasis remains on the spoken presentation.

Differences from related forms: an esitelmä is usually a student-produced and delivered talk, whereas a luento is a more formal lecture given by a teacher or expert to a broader audience. A puhe is a more general speech, often prepared for specific occasions rather than as a structured school assignment.

Assessment typically considers content accuracy, structure, clarity, language, delivery, and use of sources. While formats vary across schools and grade levels, esitelmä remains a common method for practicing research and public speaking in Finland.