During which stage of ESL learning does a child have minimal listening comprehension and does not speak English?

The correct choice is the Preproduction stage, which is often characterized by a child having minimal or no ability to understand and use the new language they are exposed to. During this stage, children may be silent and primarily rely on non-verbal communication to express their needs or thoughts. They may have a limited listening comprehension and tend to focus on observing the language around them rather than actively participating in conversation.

This stage is crucial for language acquisition as it sets the foundation for the understanding of the new language. Children at this stage are typically absorbing sounds, vocabulary, and the structure of the language even though they may not yet speak it. As they progress, they will start to produce simple words or phrases, but during the Preproduction stage, their engagement with the language is mostly passive.

In contrast, other stages of ESL learning, such as Early Production, Emergence, and Intermediate Fluency, feature varying levels of speaking and comprehension abilities, where children gradually become more active in using and producing the language.