Polish course for the building site – the foreman’s instructions, materials, dimensions, health and safety
The Polish course for construction workers teaches you to understand the instructions of the foreman and the site manager, name tools and materials, state dimensions and quantities, work safely at height and near a crane, and talk about working hours and pay. Six modules cover levels A1–B1. Lessons take place online, so you can study after work, even from your accommodation.
Who we teach on the construction course
The course is for foreigners working on residential, industrial and road construction sites and in finishing companies. It is one of the Polish at work courses.
- building assistants and general construction labourers,
- bricklayers, plasterers, steel fixers, formwork carpenters,
- drywall fitters, tilers, painters, floor layers,
- foremen who lead a crew and talk to the Polish site manager.
Site situations we practise
On a building site instructions are short and often shouted from a distance or over noise – so we practise not only speaking but above all listening comprehension.
| Situation | Example in Polish |
|---|---|
| The foreman's morning instructions | Dziś kończycie ściany na pierwszym piętrze, a po obiedzie rozbieracie szalunek. |
| Material | Brakuje nam cementu. Przywieź jeszcze dziesięć worków. |
| Dimensions | Zostaw otwór na drzwi: dziewięćdziesiąt na dwa metry. |
| Work at height | Bez szelek na rusztowanie nie wchodzisz. |
| Crane | Podczep paletę i odsuń się. Daj znać operatorowi. |
| Weather and plan | Jutro ma padać, więc nie będziemy betonować. |
| Hours and pay | W tym miesiącu mam sto osiemdziesiąt godzin. Kiedy będzie wypłata? |
The course programme in modules
Each module corresponds to one part of the day on site – from the briefing to the settlement of hours.
- The site and the people. Site manager, foreman, crew leader, crew; building site, site facilities, welfare cabin; introducing yourself and describing your experience.
- Tools and materials. Names of tools and materials, requests with the accusative (Podaj mi poziomicę) and the instrumental (Przytnij to szlifierką).
- Dimensions and quantities. Centimetres, metres, square and cubic metres, bags, pallets; dwa metry kwadratowe, pięć metrów kwadratowych.
- Health and safety. Helmet, harness, scaffolding, ladder, work near a crane, signals for the operator, reporting an accident.
- Stages of work and the plan. The future tense (będziemy tynkować, skończymy jutro), weather, delays, acceptance of work.
- Hours, pay and documents. Timesheet, advance payment, contract, leave, illness; talking about defects and corrections.
You will find the vocabulary for all the modules in the construction glossary.
The mistakes heard most often on a building site
The most common mistakes concern the cases that follow requests, numerals and the prepositions “na” and “w” – we correct them with examples from the building site.
| What learners say | Correct | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Podaj mi kielnia. | Podaj mi kielnię. | after “podaj” – the accusative; nouns ending in “-a” change the ending to “-ę” |
| Przywieź dwa worki cement. | Przywieź dwa worki cementu. | “worek czego?” (a bag of what?) – the genitive |
| Pracuję w budowie. | Pracuję na budowie. | “budowa” (building site) takes the preposition “na” |
| Robię z wiertarka. | Wiercę wiertarką. | the tool you do something with – the instrumental, without “z” |
| Jutro my betonujemy. (about a plan) | Jutro będziemy betonować. / Jutro betonujemy. | both forms are correct; the pronoun “my” is usually omitted |
Starting level
You start the course at level A1 and work up to B1 – in the trial lesson we will check which module comes first.
- You are starting from zero – the first lessons are numbers, names of tools, the simplest instructions and safety phrases. You can also build the foundation in the from-scratch course.
- You understand the foreman but answer in single words – we start with dimensions, materials and reporting problems.
- You speak freely – we practise a crew leader's conversations with the site manager, the work plan and settlements.
All you need is a phone and the internet
For lessons you only need a phone or a laptop and an internet connection – lessons take place in Google Meet and last 50 minutes.
- Take the placement test or book a trial lesson with a level assessment straight away.
- Tell the teacher what job you do on site – we will match the programme to your specialisation.
- Choose one-to-one lessons or a group of up to 5 people. We will fit the times around your work on the site.
In this section
Frequently asked questions
Why do people on a building site speak differently from the textbook?
On a building site colloquial language and abbreviations dominate, e.g. flex instead of “szlifierka kątowa” (angle grinder) or g-k instead of “płyta gipsowo-kartonowa” (plasterboard). In the course we teach you to understand the colloquial names and at the same time to speak correctly.
Does the course cover electrical and plumbing vocabulary?
Basic installation vocabulary is in the programme. If this is your specialisation, we extend it in one-to-one lessons.
Is the course useful for a foreman from abroad?
Yes. Foremen additionally practise passing instructions on to the crew, talking to the site manager about the work plan and reporting delays and defects.
Vocabulary and conversations from your industry. Book a trial lesson and we will tailor the programme.
See also
- Construction vocabularyOver 60 entries from the building site, crane signals, safety phrases and dialogues with the foreman.Read →
- Workplace phrasesAbout 70 everyday phrases: instructions, schedule, leave, sickness, pay and chatting over coffee.Read →
- IndustriesSix industries, six programmes: the situations, phrases and vocabulary employees need at the workstation.Read →