Read the following statements and choose the correct option : Assertion (A) :…
2023
Read the following statements and choose the correct option :
Assertion (A) : Learners acquire languages since they are genetically predisposed to do so and the environment does not play any role in it.
Reason (R) : The learner-centered classroom environment has a great impact on language acquisition.
- A.
(A) is false, but (R) is true.
- B.
Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
- C.
Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
- D.
(A) is true, but (R) is false.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Concept
Assertion–Reason questions require judging both statements independently before asking whether the Reason explains the Assertion. In language-acquisition theory, the accepted (interactionist) view holds that both an innate readiness and rich environmental interaction are necessary for a child to acquire language — a claim that denies the environment any role at all overstates the nativist position and is not supported by mainstream linguistic and educational theory.
Applying it to this question
Assertion (A) claims that learners acquire language purely because of genetic predisposition and that environment plays no role at all. This goes against the interactionist consensus, which treats environmental input and interaction as essential — so Assertion (A) is false.
Reason (R) states that a learner-centered classroom environment has a great impact on language acquisition. This matches accepted pedagogical theory: interaction-rich, learner-centered settings actively support language development — so Reason (R) is true.
Because Assertion (A) is false, the question of whether Reason (R) explains it does not arise — an explanation relationship can only be assessed between two true statements. The correct reading is therefore that Assertion (A) is false while Reason (R) is true.
Checking the other combinations
Both statements true, with the Reason explaining the Assertion: this requires the no-role-for-environment claim in the Assertion to be true, which conflicts with the interactionist view above.
Both statements true, with the Reason not explaining the Assertion: this also requires the Assertion's no-role-for-environment claim to be true, which fails for the same reason.
The Assertion true and the Reason false: this reverses both truth values at once — accepting that environment plays no role while denying that a learner-centered classroom affects acquisition — which conflicts with the same body of theory in the opposite direction.