Lesson 54 – Construction and Building Projects
Unit 5: Sirviendo con Fluidez | Unit Overview | Course Home
Review Flash
(5 minutes — say the Spanish before looking)
| English | Spanish |
|---|---|
| what brings you in today? | ¿cuál es su motivo de consulta? |
| do you have any medication allergies? | ¿tiene alergias a medicamentos? |
| take these pills | tome estas pastillas |
| if it gets worse, go to the hospital | si empeora, vaya al hospital |
| needs to rest | necesita reposo |
Lesson Goals
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
- Understand and give basic construction instructions
- Name common tools and materials in Spanish
- Communicate safety concerns
- Talk with local workers about the project
New Vocabulary: Tools and Materials
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| el martillo | hammer |
| los clavos | nails |
| el desarmador / destornillador | screwdriver |
| los tornillos | screws |
| el taladro | drill |
| la sierra | saw |
| la pala | shovel |
| el pico | pickaxe |
| la carretilla | wheelbarrow |
| la manguera | hose |
| el cemento | cement |
| la arena | sand |
| la grava | gravel |
| el ladrillo | brick |
| el bloque | block |
| la madera | wood / lumber |
| la lámina / el techo | sheet metal / roof |
| la pintura | paint |
| la brocha / el rodillo | paintbrush / paint roller |
| el andamio | scaffolding |
| la mezcla | the mix (concrete) |
| la plomada | plumb line |
| el nivel | level (tool) |
Construction Action Vocabulary
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| mezclar | to mix |
| cavar | to dig |
| clavar | to nail |
| atornillar | to screw in |
| cortar | to cut |
| medir | to measure |
| nivelar | to level |
| pintar | to paint |
| cargar | to carry / to load |
| limpiar el área | to clean the area |
| demoler | to demolish |
| construir | to build / construct |
| levantar | to lift / to raise |
| instalar | to install |
Safety and On-Site Communication
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| ¡cuidado! | watch out! / be careful! |
| ¡peligro! | danger! |
| ¡atrás! | get back! |
| ¡no toques eso! | don’t touch that! |
| usa el casco | wear your helmet |
| usa guantes | wear gloves |
| no entres aquí | don’t come in here |
| necesitamos más ayuda aquí | we need more help here |
| ¿cómo se hace esto? | how do you do this? |
| muéstrame cómo | show me how |
| así, ¿verdad? | like this, right? |
| ¿cuánto necesitamos? | how much do we need? |
| mide tres metros | measure three meters |
| está chueco | it’s crooked |
| está derecho | it’s straight |
| hay que nivelar esto | this needs to be leveled |
| hay un error aquí | there’s a mistake here |
| necesitamos más cemento | we need more cement |
Story: El Aula Nueva (The New Classroom)
El equipo construye un nuevo salón de clases para la escuela de la iglesia. Marcos trabaja junto a Don Ramón, un constructor local con cuarenta años de experiencia.
Marcos: — Don Ramón, ¿cómo mezclo el cemento?
Don Ramón: — Dos partes de arena, una parte de cemento, y agua poco a poco. Mézclalo bien hasta que no queden grumos.
Marcos: — ¿Así? (mezcla)
Don Ramón: — Más agua. Está muy seco. (pausa) Bien, ya está. Ahora agarra la pala y sigue mezclando.
(Después de un rato, Marcos carga la mezcla al muro.)
Don Ramón: — Marcos, ¡cuidado! Eso está muy pesado. Carga menos cantidad o te vas a lastimar la espalda.
Marcos: — Gracias, Don Ramón. ¿Cuántos bloques necesitamos para terminar la pared?
Don Ramón: — Unos catorce más. Mide primero para estar seguro. ¿Tienes el nivel?
Marcos: — Sí. (mide) Está derecho.
Don Ramón: — Bien. Este salón va a quedar bonito. Los niños van a tener dónde estudiar la Palabra de Dios.
(The team builds a new classroom for the church school. Marcos works alongside Don Ramón, a local builder with 40 years of experience. “How do I mix the cement?” “Two parts sand, one part cement, and water little by little. Mix it well until there are no lumps.” … “Marcos, be careful! That’s very heavy. Carry less or you’ll hurt your back.” “How many blocks do we need to finish the wall?” “About 14 more. Measure first to be sure.” … “This classroom is going to turn out beautiful. The children will have a place to study the Word of God.”)
Comprehension Check:
- ¿Cuál es la proporción del cemento? (What is the ratio for the cement mix?)
- ¿Por qué le advierte Don Ramón a Marcos? (Why does Don Ramón warn Marcos?)
- ¿Para qué se va a usar el nuevo salón? (What will the new classroom be used for?)
¡Practícalo! (Speaking Practice)
Practice construction site conversations:
- Ask Don Ramón how to install a window properly
- Tell your team member Sara that her wall is crooked and needs to be leveled
- Report to the pastor that you’re almost done but need two more bags of cement
- Practice a 1-minute explanation of the day’s progress to the whole team
Cultural Note
Work as witness: Some of the deepest conversations happen when you work side by side with someone. Construction projects create hours of shared physical labor — mixing cement, carrying blocks, digging foundations — and in those hours, conversations about life, faith, family, and God happen naturally. Don’t try to work and preach at the same time. Work. Sweat. Laugh when you make a mistake. Let the relationship carry the message. Don Ramón watching a mission team member work hard and humbly alongside him tells him more about Jesus than a thousand tracts.
Oración
“Si Jehová no edificare la casa, en vano trabajan los que la edifican.” (Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain.) — Salmos 127:1
El Señor edifica. We carry the blocks; He builds the house.
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