Global environmental issues (AQA GCSE French): Revision Notes
Global environmental issues - French vocabulary and grammar
Understanding environmental issues is crucial in today's world, and being able to discuss these topics in French helps you engage with global conversations. This revision note covers essential vocabulary, grammar structures, and practice exercises to help you communicate effectively about environmental challenges.
The ability to discuss climate change, economic impacts, and environmental solutions in French will enable you to participate in meaningful conversations about some of the most pressing issues facing our planet today.
Useful vocabulary
The following vocabulary forms the foundation for discussing environmental topics in French. Pay particular attention to the gender patterns and verb conjugations as these will be essential for constructing accurate sentences.
| French | English | Gender/Notes |
|---|---|---|
| catastrophe | catastrophe | (f) |
| chômage | unemployment | (m) |
| climat | climate | (m) |
| construire | to build | verb |
| crise | crisis | (f) |
| devenir | to become | verb |
| encourager | to encourage | verb |
| ensemble | together | adverb |
| feu | fire | (m) |
| génération | generation | (f) |
| gouvernement | government | (m) |
| mort(e) | dead | adjective |
| planète | planet | (f) |
| terre | earth | (f) |
| véhicule | vehicle | (m) |
| annoncer | to announce | verb |
| brûler | to burn | verb |
| changement | change | (m) |
| conflit | conflict | (m) |
| dépendre de | to depend on | verb |
| disparaître | to disappear | verb |
| économie | economy | (f) |
| enseigner | to teach | verb |
| espèce | species | (f) |
| global(e) | global | adjective |
| mondial(e) | global/worldwide | adjective |
| objectif | objective | (m) |
| prévenir | to warn | verb |
| réagir | to react | verb |
| réfléchir à | to think about, reflect on | verb |
| remplacer | to replace | verb |
| soutenir | to support | verb |
Many environmental terms are cognates - words that look similar in French and English. This makes them easier to remember! Examples include: catastrophe, climat, planète, économie, and objectif.
Grammar focus: Venir de + infinitive (recent past)
This structure is essential for discussing current environmental developments and recent changes in environmental policy or conditions.
Formation: venir (conjugated) + de + infinitive
This structure expresses something that has just happened, equivalent to "have just done" in English. It's particularly useful when discussing recent environmental events, policy announcements, or scientific discoveries.
Worked Examples: Venir de + infinitive
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Je viens de lire un article en ligne sur le chômage. (I have just read an online article about unemployment.)
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Le gouvernement vient d'annoncer de nouveaux objectifs pour le climat. (The government has just announced new climate objectives.)
-
Nous venons de construire une nouvelle école. (We have just built a new school.)
Example sentences
These examples demonstrate how to use environmental vocabulary in context with different tenses. Notice how the verb tenses change the meaning and time frame of the environmental discussion.
Present tense examples:
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La pollution détruit notre planète. (Pollution is destroying our planet.)
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Les espèces animales disparaissent à cause des feux de forêt. (Animal species are disappearing because of forest fires.)
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Nous devons réduire la température des mers. (We must reduce sea temperatures.)
Past tense (passé composé) examples:
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Le changement climatique récent a été une catastrophe. (Recent climate change has been a catastrophe.)
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Notre génération a prévenu les gouvernements. (Our generation has warned the governments.)
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Ils ont remplacé les voitures par d'autres moyens de transport. (They have replaced cars with other means of transport.)
Grammar and pronunciation tips
Mastering the pronunciation and grammar patterns will help you sound more natural when discussing environmental topics in French.
Silent letters: Many French words end in silent consonants. For example, "climat" is pronounced [kli-MA], not [kli-MAT]. This is particularly common with environmental vocabulary.
Liaison: When "les" comes before a vowel sound (like "espèces"), pronounce it as [lay-ZES-pess]. This linking sound is essential for fluent speech.
Gender patterns: Words ending in "-tion" are usually feminine (génération, pollution). This pattern will help you remember the gender of many environmental terms.
Verb groups: Regular -er verbs like "encourager" follow the same pattern: j'encourage, tu encourages, il encourage. Most environmental action verbs follow this pattern.
Practice translation exercises
Test your understanding with these translation exercises that combine vocabulary and grammar structures.
French to English:
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Il y a des problèmes sérieux dans le monde. La pollution, c'est nul et il y a trop de personnes qui ont faim.
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L'avenir de la Terre dépend de nous, les jeunes.
English to French:
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We must support projects that will help animals.
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Forest fires have destroyed our world.
Answers
Translation answers:
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There are serious problems in the world. Pollution is awful and there are too many people who are hungry.
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The future of the Earth depends on us, young people.
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Nous devons soutenir des projets qui aideront les animaux.
-
Les feux de forêt ont détruit notre monde.
Key Points to Remember:
- Use "venir de + infinitive" to express recent actions - perfect for discussing current environmental developments
- Environmental vocabulary often includes cognates (words similar to English) like "climat," "économie," and "planète"
- Many environmental terms are feminine nouns ending in -e: la catastrophe, la crise, la planète
- Practice linking environmental issues with personal opinions using phrases like "je pense que" and "à mon avis"
- Remember that discussing global issues requires both present and past tenses to explain current situations and their causes