What term best describes the experience of sound perception related to language skills?

The term that best describes the experience of sound perception related to language skills is auditory processing. Auditory processing involves how the brain interprets and makes sense of the sounds it hears, which is crucial for understanding language. This process includes the ability to differentiate between sounds, recognize patterns in speech, and understand what is being said, all of which are foundational for developing language skills.

Understanding auditory processing is essential in various contexts, including assessments and interventions in music therapy and speech therapy. It encompasses a range of skills necessary for effective communication, making it a central component in the relationship between sound and language.

While linguistic discrimination focuses specifically on the ability to identify and differentiate between language sounds, and speech intelligibility pertains to how clearly a person can articulate speech to be understood, these concepts are more specific than auditory processing. Phonemic awareness is a subset of auditory processing that deals directly with recognizing and manipulating the sounds in spoken words. Overall, auditory processing captures the broader experience of how sound perception relates to language, making it the most fitting choice.