Final answer:
The first phase of the listening process is the auditory perception stage, where sound waves enter the auditory canal, vibrate the tympanic membrane, are transmitted through the ossicles, and are converted by the cochlea into neural impulses that the brain perceives as sound.
Step-by-step explanation:
The first phase of the listening process is often termed the auditory perception stage, which involves the passive physiological process of capturing sound waves and transmitting them to the brain. During this stage, sound waves enter the auditory canal and make contact with the tympanic membrane, or eardrum, causing it to vibrate. These vibrations are then transmitted through the ossicles of the middle ear to the inner ear structure known as the cochlea. The cochlea, which is filled with fluid, converts the vibrations into mechanical movements that bend hair cells. This bending action generates neural impulses that are sent through the auditory nerve to the brain, where sound is perceived.