Environmental Issues (AQA GCSE French): Revision Note

Exam code: 8652

Amy Bates

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Amy Bates

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Environmental issues

For the topic of environmental issues, you need to:

  • discuss different environmental problems and their effects

  • say what you do to help the environment

  • use modal verbs to say how you and others can, must, or want to help the environment

Three people holding boxes with recycling symbols, filled with paper and plastic bottles, promoting environmental conservation and teamwork.

Environmental issues: vocabulary

Some useful words and phrases to talk about environmental issues are:

  • Je suis inquiet / inquiète pour le/la/les…

    I am worried about … 

  • Une grande inquiétude, c’est …

    A big worry / concern is … 

Category

French

Part of speech

English

Describing environmental issues

catastrophe

n (f)

catastrophe, disaster

cause

n (f)

cause

climat

n (m)

climate

crise

n (f)

crisis

déchets

n (mpl)

rubbish

eau

n (f)

water

énergie

n (f)

energy

environnement

n (m)

environment

gaz

n (m)

gas

menace

n (f)

threat

mer

n (f)

sea

monde

n (m)

world

nature

n (f)

nature

niveau

n (m)

level

planète

n (f)

planet

plastique

n (f)

plastic

pollution

n (f)

pollution

réchauffement

n (m)

warming

ressource

n (f)

resource

terre

n (f)

earth, world, soil, land

augmenter

v

to increase, raise

détruire

v

to destroy

diminuer

v

to decrease, lower

jeter

v

to throw

menacer

v

to threaten

polluer

v

to pollute

tuer

v

to kill

grave

adj

serious, grave

inquiétant(e)

adj

worrying

Helping the environment

recyclage

n (m)

recycling

aider

v

to help

améliorer

v

to improve

protéger

v

to protect

recycler

v

to recycle

réduire

v

to reduce

utiliser

v

to use

Higher tier only

These words are only required for Higher tier.

French

Part of speech

English

Examples

circulation

n (f)

traffic

La circulation dans ma ville crée beaucoup de pollution.

The traffic in my town creates a lot of pollution.

changement

n (m)

change

Je m’inquiète du changement climatique.

I am worried about climate change.

destruction

n (f)

destruction

La destruction des arbres menace les animaux.

The destruction of trees threatens animals.

espèce

n (f)

species

Il faut protéger chaque espèce.

We must protect every species.

préserver

v

to preserve, protect

On doit préserver les rivières propres.

We must preserve clean rivers.

prévenir

v

to prevent

Le gouvernement essaie de prévenir les catastrophes naturelles.

The government is trying to prevent natural disasters.

sauver

v

to save

Nous devons sauver notre planète.

We must save our planet.

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