It’s safe to say that today, proficiency can be acquired in two very different kinds of languages; those used by people, and those by people that create, innovate, and run technology. So some have mastered Italian, Russian, and French. Others, JavaScript, C++, and Python. But that leaves a third category still. One that switches from Italian to C++ to German with panache! If you aspire to be in this last dexterously linguistic category, there are resources you can use to develop your technical and literary skills! And we chose to highlight only the best:
Codecademy is ideal for those who have always been curious about programming and its capabilities! If you can’t help but think of the great Greek warrior whenever you see an Ajax error, Codecademy is for you! For it could help dispel your computer myths!
Through the sites interactive lessons, you can begin your first steps toward mastery of JavaScript, CSS, and HTML. Oh and the lessons are free!
Pen.io is like a webpage torn out of a writer’s dream. The site is a nice alternative to a writing software like Word or Google Docs and it lets you create and publish pages on its beautiful platform. You can even use it to publish your very own e-book or essay! Another cool feature on the site is PenZen, “a distraction free environment for writers,” where the web page becomes as blank as thought itself.
You can create a publishing platform within seconds and yes, it’s free!
Duolingo is a fun and interactive language learning site pioneered by Carnegie Mellon associate professor, Dr. Luis von Ahn. While the name might imply bilingualism, Duolingo can help you learn as many as four languages! You could be a polyglot in the making!
Currently, the site has lessons in Spanish, German, French, and English. Apart from learning a new language, users also get to apply their new skills in translating the web.
Duolingo is free, so a motivation to learn and a love for languages is all that is required!
Whether you learn a language of squiggly parentheses such as Javascript or one of accents, such as French, is entirely up to you. Sure the thought of mastering Javascript is daunting, but try pronouncing the French word for butter, beurre, and you may think otherwise.
Silly jokes aside, I dare not imply that one is easier than the other. While programming requires no little amount of logical brilliance, language acquisition requires an affinity for the exact opposite; the illogical, the paradoxical, and the romantic. So the real question that unfolds isn't about difficulty, but about which is tougher to learn, logic or illogic?
An argument can be made either way, but here’s mine; since we are neither absolutely logical nor illogical, why should our skills be so polarized? Let’s strive to master the rationality of computer programming and the unexpectedness of language!