Most people would agree that knowing a language other than their native tongue is an excellent skill to possess. I took Spanish in high school. I was interested in learning the language but the skills that remain are nowhere near fluent. I remember how to say “guapo” and “bonita” which means I am equipped to pay complements to infant children by telling them they are “handsome” or “pretty”. My skills end there.
Sometimes I wish I had tried harder so that I could communicate with a broader range of people. Sure, there are programs put there that help you learn another language no matter your experience level. Rosetta Stone is one of those programs and it has helped many people add another language to the repertoire. And let’s not forget our good friend Dora The Explorer. She has almost single handedly introduced the Spanish language to our children even though it is an extremely dangerous task. Seriously, anyone else praying that Swiper the Fox would just leave her alone so she can complete her noble journey?!! #noblecause #thanksDora
Back to languages. Yes, knowing a second language would be a great skill. A language that has proven to be extremely helpful in the last few years is a “newer” language. I am not talking about Mandarin, Spanish or Russian but rather the constructed language known as the programming language. This language is also known as source code. The programming language was designed to communicate to machines; in most cases computers. Simply put, this code is the foundation upon which the websites we visit are built. This programming language is not verbally spoken but made up of a combination of different text and symbols. It is a relatively new language, so it makes sense that it is foreign to most of us.
Do you think it is important for those who do not know this code to learn it? Would this knowledge benefit everyone? How early should we start teaching this language? Wired.com recently wrote about a children’s book author named Linda Liukas who has written a children’s book that helps teach the concepts of programming. Let’s face it, the internet is not going anywhere. We couldn’t live the same way without it so it only makes sense to teach this skill to the upcoming generations. The sooner the better. I bet parents can learn a thing or two from these books just like they subconsciously learn from Dora. Here’s a positive, you are less likely to get a theme song stuck in your from a book.
What are your thoughts on this topic? Do you think learning programming language is important? Do you think children should learn it or wait until they are older? Please leave a comment below!!
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