Hi Marjorie, your text is probably being automatically translated by your browser. Go to your browser settings and turn off the automatic translation option

There's a three step program to improve your listening ability: first listen, then listen, and afterwards listen some more.

I used a two-prong approach: I bought a French CD with guidebook which specialized in building listening skills. I would listen many times to a given track until I got as much as I could. Then I would read the transcript along with the audio, and finally I would listen again to the audio. This was addressing my conscious part of the brain. Kwiziq's transcription exercises are a great tool, too. Do all of them that are on your level. And when you're done, do them over again.

Then I also decided to have my subconscious work for me. So I just bought a CD of French chansons and played it in the car. I wasn't trying to understand every line as much as just get me exposed to it, while enjoying the music and singing. After a while my understanding was getting noticeably better.

If you can find a French native speaker, by all means, go talk to him or her. I didn't have one at that time.

Don't tense up over it. This takes time. Focus on the little improvements you make from one time to the next. Don't focus so much on what you don't understand yet. And remember, this is supposed to be fun!

The only person that can help is yourself. Listen 100 times, and read at the same time. 

No curtains - so room is cold

Cela signifie que la pièce est froide, comme la mort, mais cela suggère également le manque de chaleur au cœur de Scrooge. Que ce qui apporte chaleur et beauté à sa vie est considéré comme un gaspillage d'argent qu'il doit à tout prix thésauriser. It means that the room is cold, like death, but it also suggests the lack of warmth in the heart of Scrooge. That what brings warmth and beauty to his life is considered to be a waste of money, wich he must hoard at all costs.

If you click the French phrases there is an English translation.

Although some verbs only exist in a reflexive version, others can be used either reflexively or not.

Vous ouvrez la porte. -- You open the door.
La porte s'ouvre elle-même. -- The door opens itself (by itself).

Le prof accueille les étudiants. -- The professor welcomes the students.
Nous nous accueillons. -- We welcome each other.

It’s because the door seems to open itself... written in reflexive it gives the sense that the door opened itself.

Hi Berkay, not sure what passage you’re referring to but I’m an A1 and just clicked on an A1 Reading exercise , “A Christmas Carol”  to see what you might be talking about and I found it very hard. 

I loved it.  I'm A1 and am very pleased.  Listen several times and learn the new vocab.  The sentence structure is whats so important and at A1 . You will see if you continue with it.  

le baldaquin is a canopy over the bed

Regarder de chaque côté means to look at all sides. It's idiomatic. There's another common construction à y regarder de près -- looking at it close up.

You'd say:

 regarder dans chaque coin.

Thank you Chris. 

If we want to say: look at every corner, should we say 'regarder de chaque coin' or 'regarder chaque coin'?

OK! Got it! Thanks. But now I must try to use it!

Merci beaucoup Kwiziq!

Merci bien pour votre rapide response. Je viens de l’acheter chez Amazon et je le trouve très facile à lire et à comprendre.  Mais avant plus d’ans dont je veux me rappeler (can one really say that in French?) ma mère nous a lu la cantique chaque Christmas Eve pendant je ne sais combien d’ans, et ça reste en mémoire après n’importe combien d’ans. Merci encore une fois.