Above is an image related to one of the news stories we followed over the past two weeks. Do you know what it shows? At the bottom of this quiz, you’ll find the answer.
Have you been paying attention to current events recently? See how many of these 10 questions you can get right.
Senior prom. Bar and bat mitzvahs. Confirmation. Sweet 16. Quinceañeras.
What rites of passage do you celebrate? How does your family or community observe and honor the important milestones in your life? Why are these rites and rituals so important to growing up?
Until recently, quinceañeras were reserved for girls. In “Meet the Latino Boys Decked Out for Their Version of the Quinceañera,” Christina Morales, with photographs and video by Christopher Lee, writes about the young men looking to celebrate their entry into adulthood with their own, often lavish, quinceañero parties:
On a Saturday last fall, a Mexican American teenager in Corpus Christi, Texas, had everything planned out for a coming-of-age party. It would have custom-made jewelry, a string quartet to play renditions of pop songs and a group of high school freshmen in black tailcoat tuxedos to perform a dance.
This may sound like a classic quinceañera for a 15-year-old girl marking her transition to womanhood. But on that day, the spotlight was on Javier Calderon, a 15-year-old boy celebrating becoming a man.
Mr. Calderon is part of a growing number of young Latin American boys embracing the centuries-old tradition that until recently has been reserved for girls — a trend that represents one way that Latinos are adapting the custom in the United States.
“I wanted to show everyone what I wanted to be,” Mr. Calderon said. “I’m turning into a teenager.”
Some boys are asking their parents for a party of their own. Mothers without daughters are begging their sons to have a quinceañero, the name of the celebration for boys. At times, the idea that a boy should have his own party has been contentious, especially for older Latinos who deeply value tradition.
Quinceañeras typically celebrate a girl’s entry into adulthood on her 15th birthday, with the term deriving from the Spanish word quince, which means 15. The parties tend to be elaborate and big, and can cost as much as a wedding.
Quinceañeros have been no exception — some parents are spending up to $70,000 to host them for their 15-year-old boys. And some see these parties as a way to push back against the socially conservative gender roles many Latinos grow up with.
The article continues:
At the beginning of his quinceañero, Mr. Calderon walked into the ballroom where the celebration was held in a purple tuxedo as the master of ceremonies introduced him as a prince. His guests were seated in tables with twinkling gold crowns as centerpieces. By the end of the night, Mr. Calderon sat on a throne in the center of the room and was ordained a king.
Despite the support from dozens of family members and friends, some decided not to attend Mr. Calderon’s party. His mother, Anna Garcia, said some had thought that this typically feminine celebration — often with poofy dresses and tiaras — was not appropriate for men.
“It comes with a stigma,” Ms. Garcia said. “They think he’s not manly. It reflects on his sexuality. In reality, it’s for both females and males. They’re both transitioning in life.”
Students, read the entire article and look at the videos and photos, and then tell us:
Describe a particular milestone in your life and what your family or community did to recognize or honor the occasion. What significance did the celebration or ritual have then and now? Did it change how you viewed yourself, or how others saw you?
Does your family or community mark the transition to adulthood in any special ways? Have you had a quinceañero or quinceañera or attended one? If so, what was that experience like?
“I wanted to show everyone what I wanted to be,” said Javier Calderon, whose quinceañero is featured in the article. “I’m turning into a teenager.” Does that resonate with your own feelings about becoming a teen? Which of the young men and their coming-of-age celebrations did you find most interesting, memorable or relatable? Does the article make you want to have a quinceañero or something like it? Why or why not?
In many cultures, boys and girls have different rites of passage. Is that true in your culture? Should there be distinct and different traditions based on gender? In your point of view, what is more important: to keep doing things in the traditional way, or to adapt customs to changing times?
Why are rites of passage so important to young people and to society as a whole? What do you think would be lost if we didn’t have any?
What would be your dream coming-of-age celebration? What activities, ceremonies, themes or traditions would you want to include? Whom would you want to attend?
Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public and may appear in print.
Find more Student Opinion questions here. Teachers, check out this guide to learn how you can incorporate these prompts into your classroom.
This year, Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year, falls on Jan. 29 and ushers in the Year of the Snake.
Do you celebrate? If so, how? If not, what do you know about this annual holiday and its meaning? Do you know that Lunar New Year is one of the most important holidays in many Asian countries, including China, Vietnam and South Korea? And, do you know that dumplings symbolize for many wealth and prosperity for the year ahead?
Whether you’ve observed the festivities in the past or not, what dishes would you most like to eat this year to mark the occasion?
Tell us in the comments, and then read the related article, “It’s Dumpling Week! We Have 5 Amazing Recipes You Can Make at Home,” to learn more about how to make, shape and eat the plump doughy staple of many Lunar New Year celebrations.
Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public and may appear in print.
The word truncate has appeared in three articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on Sept. 8 in “The Prince We Never Knew” by Sasha Weiss:
Dig, if you will, a small slice of Ezra Edelman’s nine-hour documentary about Prince — a cursed masterpiece that the public may never be allowed to see.
… In July, Matthew Belloni reported in his newsletter, “What I’m Hearing,” which is widely read in the industry, that the film was in danger of being shelved. Though Edelman and Netflix retained final cut, Belloni reported, the estate had managed to hold up the project because of a clause in its original contract with Netflix, which stipulates that the film be no more than six hours in length. According to Belloni, Edelman was not willing to truncate it.
Can you correctly use the word truncate in a sentence?
Based on the definition and example provided, write a sentence using today’s Word of the Day and share it as a comment on this article. It is most important that your sentence makes sense and demonstrates that you understand the word’s definition, but we also encourage you to be creative and have fun.
If you want a better idea of how truncate can be used in a sentence, read these usage examples on Vocabulary.com. You can also visit this guide to learn how to use IPA symbols to show how different words are pronounced.
If you enjoy this daily challenge, try our vocabulary quizzes.
Students ages 13 and older in the United States and the United Kingdom, and 16 and older elsewhere, can comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff.
The Word of the Day is provided by Vocabulary.com. Learn more and see usage examples across a range of subjects in the Vocabulary.com Dictionary. See every Word of the Day in this column.
Artificial Intelligence can be used in a Learning Management System, an LXP, a talent development platform, a mentoring platform, skilling, and other learning systems.
AI and Questions – Consider
Let’s get right to the point.
Vendors are adding AI.
They are using it with similar functionality, and wait, not.
At some point, there will be more similarity, adding to the confusion about which is better for your learner versus just a neat feature that isn’t ideally suited for your use case or requirements.
Even for you, yes, you are the head of Learning and Development, HR, or Training.
What the learning system market is showing
Scenarios: I am not referring to what a system has in it today, although one mentoring platform coming this summer has it.
Instead, in the scenario situation, think around the following.
The use case.
The requirements.
Who is overseeing the system, regardless of type?
Overseeing the system is wide open because it can be misconstrued.
One instantly thinks, the administrator.
While this is an accurate statement unless the head of Training, L&D, HR, or whoever—let’s say the head of sales or marketing—is the administrator—and yes, it happens—then and only then is this part relevant for you.
You may have multiple systems, and you—the head of the entire department, division, association, and so on—are the admin. Then, you have secondary admins.
Customer training, clients, and partners will have their administrators, on top of the primary administrator, you—and here it might be you or someone you hired or tossed over to run the whole thing.
Ask yourself the following and identify which is relevant to your use case and which is a nice feature. It exists in the system today, or your vendor says it is on the roadmap for 2025.
Not every system has it; the data I see is between 5 percent and 10 percent of the entire, say, 900 to 1,000 systems that are commercial and not open source, Edtech specific, or built by your friends to save you a lot of dollars.
I present this range because, as noted above, the functionality is here; it’s just that not everybody has it.
Even one piece, for example.
That said, the functionality below is actual—as in, systems offer it, but at the level you wish they had it all, it isn’t in existence.
I will include where I see the next level of functionality which makes the most sense.
Content Creator – aka Authoring tool
This is by far the low-hanging fruit.
In other words, vendors add it, pushing it like nobody else has it.
Although the vendor may say theirs is very different, it offers capabilities that will really help whoever is creating the content.
Who, though, is creating the content?
Do you have an instructional designer behind the scenes using this content creator?
Probably not, because someone with ID skills is going to use a third-party content creator tool such as Storyline from Articulate.
Folks who are creating courses, who may not be at the level of an instructional designer, maybe using Storyline.
They may use other 3rd party authoring tools, even PowerPoint from Microsoft.
For those using or going to use the built-in content creator, the goal here is to push out the content quickly.
Your vendor may not say that publicly to you, but I see more often than not that the speed angle is essential for the salesperson to note.
Type in a word or a statement, and bam – here is the often-mentioned content.
I’ve seen the learning journey, which is a big no for now.
The content creator may include here you can edit the content – a standard feature with the systems.
There may be a block within the content where you can add images, links to YouTube, or whatever you want to appear in the content.
Depending on the vendor—which is quite limited—you may be able to add synthetic materials; audio is the most common for those who offer it.
I have seen ones that go far beyond that. It has potential, but it can be equally confusing.
It all depends on who is creating the content and why someone would want to do that when the goal – again, a push by the vendors themselves is speed and the idea of efficiency and purpose.
Do you anticipate an SME here to aid in building the content that will be pushed out?
You do not want to use a built-in content creator if you do.
Think this way: Is your LMS or whatever type of learning system you have experts in content creation (aka as an authoring tool)?
They are not.
A 3rd party should be, and more are than not.
Thus, the built-in tool with the LMS is a feature set folks want to save time and cost.
Creating the course, aka content
How many administrators do you know have a background in effective course design?
Who knows and understands how ADDIE works? Gagne anyone?
Went to school or learned on their own to learn instructional design and e-learning development?
I am self-taught, but what I find today isn’t the case.
Yes, you will have admins with the experience and knowledge to create strong courses and understand why WBT was created and its benefits.
You may, too. or not. Especially the latter on WBT.
Speed with AI.
Verification that it is accurate – ha.
It is so rare that vendors mention this.
I add this because who knows it unless the vendor stipulates it?
The L&D is gutted. The head of it has been laid off due to reorganization.
The system is handed over to HRIS.
OR some other department.
Does someone in HRIS, for example, have the background or the time to create effective courses or other types of content?
Hence, the speed, ease of doing it, and reliance on AI- here is your course.
If you are in sales training, ditto.
How practical is that course or piece of content for learning?
How much of that information is accurate from the person who has to create it when they have other job duties to do it?
If you believe that your learners will think, “This is great,” you are fooling yourself.
Retention -no.
You may think this because you are using the AI assessment tool, which generates questions that may or may not be 100% accurate.
Sure, you can edit them, but if you have no real idea of what you are looking at and think AI never makes a mistake, will you ask someone whether this is valid?
AI assessment is another hot commodity in learning systems.
Guess why?
Low-hanging fruit.
A vendor would have to be stubborn and have been in the sun too long to have a content creator tool and not an assessment one simultaneously.
I love how vendors mention you can add a question within the course.
Or, let’s add an avatar who can then ask the questions because that makes so much more sense.
It’s AI, after all.
I equally love vendors who offer the option of not using AI or an assessment tool to create the content.
Who would do this, i.e., not use it, if they have no background knowledge or experience around the questions approach? What works and doesn’t to attain short and long-term retention, let alone comprehension?
And then there is the whole synthesis aspect, which is the goal, yes, the goal to create a course, comprehensively learn it, and relate it.
A vendor rarely mentions that whole synthesis part, even among folks with learning and development or training backgrounds.
HR? Marketing? Sales? – doubtful.
Forget about adaptive and vendors who are using AI for that because, without synthesis, it is a cute word to mention.
Adaptive goes so far—and yes, it’s the holy grail. AI will greatly help in the long run, but the human element is a must.
Put it all together, and synthesis is still the big elephant in the room.
bounce on over to skills and AI.
Skill and AI
Skill mapping with AI – what a great idea – did I tell you about those hallucinations?
No?
Don’t worry—this is very fast, it will save you so much time, and you are going to love it.
How it really works is that the system (using AI) will allow you to add the job role, or the system can figure it out from your HRIS platform if it is integrated.
Anyway, you have a job role.
You have content.
Did I mention that you can add your skills and job role and tie it to content in our system?
Oh no? Well, in that case, we do.
Another vendor doesn’t have it.
Don’t worry; we can identify the skills the learner needs to acquire based on their skill rating, the content they have or plan to take, or some other fashion and add them.
Then, the system maps their current skills to the skills they need to achieve success in their current job role.
Success, though, is defined by you since how can you really, more importantly accurately, say it is true?
Those skill ratings will tell you.
They set their rating—as they see themselves. You, as the manager, set what you think is the actual rating for that skill, and then the system will identify what they need to do to attain that skill level.
Perhaps the administrator, who has no idea about contacting that manager, just leaves it blank.
No worries, who really needs skills development and mapping anyway?
What?
The manager or whoever has identified the skill rating they need to be tied to their current job role to be efficient?
The system aids in that with AI?
Tracks it even with each skill and how it compares to others in the company, or that specific job role within the company, or your department?
Wait, there is more.
The vendor uses a crowdsourcing mechanism, so your learner—okay, you too—can see how others using that vendor’s system are tied around that job role compared to the person.
I mean, what organization doesn’t want that?
Skills matching is a possibility. However, it only works if the learner is truthful about their skill level—which I should have mentioned earlier about the whole skills mapping tied to rating tied to job role tied to wanting to attain and deliver success in that current role.
Plus, that department’s manager or head must know that individual’s skill level.
If I have 100 people in my department, I will know all their skill levels and ratings on each item regarding how that learner identifies their skills.
Wait, I forgot, AI can do that for me.
Aid to such a degree that the output isn’t what you might expect.
What is a one, two, three, four, or five?
The learner won’t know.
Nor the manager.
Each will have a different perspective.
People generally rate themselves higher than they are, especially when they believe their job is at stake or they expect a raise.
Or heck, just in general.
Unless expectations are presented, such as what one is, those folks will not know.
Who doesn’t want a smiley face?
Copilots
Talk about hype that is underwhelming.
That sounds wonderful. Who doesn’t want assistance with some tasks?
That prompt you see that your learner must enter their question or statement when using a copilot or even a personal agent (an autonomus agent) works far better. While not a 100% consistently accurate output, it does help.
But you must know the correct prompts – words and phrases to use.
Personal Agents – A benefit or not?
The jury to me it out.
How are they beneficial to the learner?
From the workplace—the employee side—I can see that depending on the task or tasks and personality, i.e., A, B.
However, Learning?
A few vendors use a prompt window to generate output beyond the usual generative output from a learner asking questions or statements.
Deep thinking.
AI is horrible at it – at least for now.
This is how HR folks—if they are aware—can ask a question on a virtual application, which will require the person applying to actually think.
This will eliminate the cut-and-paste job using ChatGPT or some other Generative AI LLM.
Why aren’t LMS, LXP, TDP, and others excluding, say, a mentoring or coaching platform?
I prefer mentoring using that approach.
I see huge benefits beyond someone taking a course and the course itself.
To me, this is a way to truly ascertain how this—the skill, the job role tied to the skill, the ability to upskill or reskill, and even the content itself—can be impactful.
And get this –
It can lead to synthesis, depending on how it is leveraged in a system.
Bottom Line
I could go on with much more functionality at play today.
Here, though, is one to think about: the logical next step.
As mentioned earlier, some systems are starting to allow users to select a variety of synthetic voices for their content.
They offer recording and even a level of voice cloning.
It is far from perfect because to achieve elite, you need professional equipment, which an F500 or Global 2000 or even your company may have.
Then, you need at least 30 minutes to record, tapping into labels for the type of voice, when to use it, narration, conversational, etc. – a description that someone looking at the voice could figure out what it is, the target audience, and so on.
Modifications of the voice are likely, as is knowing what the provider is using for a model.
Is it old or new?
Systems that offer voice cloning do not base it on the above but rather on a few seconds with whatever you have.
Then, make sure you can upload the recording before using the voice cloning.
Here is why
You need professional equipment and good, if not strong, software for optimal results.
It will do the job for most folks, whether solid or strong professional equipment with audacity (a freebie).
You wouldn’t need professional equipment, just a good microphone and some basic skills—which means reading the help guide to leverage the software and record.
The Test
I decided to test something out.
I recorded my voice – and here are some particulars you may not be aware of but should consider – I used to work in radio and create promotional audio recordings for various companies, including a few radio programs.
I used professional equipment—top-of-the-line radio station equipment — to manipulate my voice in these promotional items.
Depending on the situation, I have professional equipment at home to manipulate my voice, or I choose not to.
In this case, I went with manipulation with added effects.
Separately, I tapped into an AI voice clone.
Which is it?
My voice
OR a clone of another voice using AI?
I might be tricking you.
After all, it is AI.
Because this post is all about it.
And he notes about systems cloning.
However, he may be fooling me because cloning exists; in this case, it is his voice using his equipment to manipulate and confuse.
E-Learning 24/7
Wildfires burning in and around Los Angeles over the past several weeks have killed at least 28 people, forced thousands to evacuate, and destroyed homes, businesses, schools and community centers. Many residents have lost nearly everything they owned to the blazes.
In the days and weeks after the destruction, though, people and businesses near and far rallied together to support those affected. Restaurants helped feed emergency workers and evacuees. Aid groups worked to collect and distribute donations. A gas station became a relief site where weary residents could find food, clothing and connection.
Have you been following the news about the wildfires in Southern California? Have you or anyone you know been affected? What stories about people coming together to help those in need have inspired you? Have you or your family contributed to the relief effort in any way?
In “A Fire Relief Effort by and for Teenage Girls,” Callie Holtermann writes about an eighth grader who started a donation drive for teenagers whose homes burned in Los Angeles:
A few miles from the rubble left behind by the Eaton fire, a Los Angeles art studio grew densely packed over the weekend with the supplies a teenage girl might need to start over.
Sports bras and graphic T-shirts dangled from hangers. Converse sneakers were arrayed by size on the concrete floor. Clear plastic bins overflowed with deodorant, hair products and pastel pimple patches.
All of the items collected in the airy warehouse in the Boyle Heights neighborhood were free to teenagers whose homes had been incinerated in the city’s devastating wildfires.
While many relief efforts for victims of the fires have focused on more acute needs like shelter and food, Avery Colvert, an eighth grader in Pasadena, started a donation drive called Altadena Girls last week with a slightly less obvious remit. She wanted to offer young women essentials they had lost, plus some of the everyday luxuries that might help restore a touch of normalcy to their lives.
The article continues:
Ms. Colvert, 14, created the Altadena Girls Instagram account on Friday with the help of her stepfather. Her house was spared, but many of her friends’ were not, she said in an interview with Time magazine. Her middle school, Eliot Arts Magnet, burned down.
She posted a call on social media for new clothing, hygiene and beauty products, specifying the kinds of items that she thought would be deeply appreciated by teenage girls once they had secured food and shelter.
“I started hearing from my friends about the stuff that they desperately needed, but were either afraid or ashamed to ask for,” Ms. Colvert wrote in an email. “Girl stuff. Teen girl stuff. Everything from bras and underwear to makeup and stuff to just make them feel like themselves.”
Students, read the entire article and then tell us:
What is your reaction to Ms. Colvert’s efforts to help teenage girls affected by the wildfires in Southern California? What do you take away from her story?
Tell us about a time when you helped others in a big or small way. Maybe you volunteered your time or donated money to an organization. Perhaps you showed up for a friend who was struggling or did something kind for a stranger. Or maybe, like Ms. Colvert, you started a club or organized a fund-raiser to support those in need. Why did you decide to step in at that moment? What unique skills and talents did you contribute? How did helping out make you feel?
Have you been on the receiving end of such an act of generosity? What did it mean to you?
Fred Rogers, known to generations simply as Mr. Rogers, said he was always comforted by something his mother would tell him during times of disaster: “Look for the helpers. You can always find people who are helping.” What helpers have you been impressed with, whether in your own community or the world at large? Why do you think Mr. Rogers found it comforting to pay attention to them? Do you?
Do Ms. Colvert’s efforts inspire you to lend a hand to the fire victims or to people in your own community who might need help in some way? In what ways can you contribute?
Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public and may appear in print.
Find more Student Opinion questions here. Teachers, check out this guide to learn how you can incorporate these prompts into your classroom.
The word inauspicious has appeared in 41 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on Dec. 21 in “He’s the Only 3-Michelin-Starred Chef in Seoul. Don’t Cross Him” by Daisuke Wakabayashi:
In 2016, Mr. Anh opened his first restaurant in San Francisco called Mosu, a play on the Korean pronunciation of cosmos, a flower that grew in a field near his childhood home in South Korea. Mosu offered a tasting menu for $195, a record high for a new restaurant in the city.
In a column for The San Francisco Chronicle, the restaurant critic Michael Bauer said he was shocked at the “audacity of the pricing out of the gate” considering that “chef-owner Sung Anh doesn’t have much name recognition.”
Despite the inauspicious start, Mosu was awarded one Michelin star, an impressive achievement for a new restaurant, and the reservation book at the 18-seat hideaway was consistently full. But Amy In, Mr. Anh’s wife, said this was a challenging time.
Can you correctly use the word inauspicious in a sentence?
Based on the definition and example provided, write a sentence using today’s Word of the Day and share it as a comment on this article. It is most important that your sentence makes sense and demonstrates that you understand the word’s definition, but we also encourage you to be creative and have fun.
If you want a better idea of how inauspicious can be used in a sentence, read these usage examples on Vocabulary.com. You can also visit this guide to learn how to use IPA symbols to show how different words are pronounced.
If you enjoy this daily challenge, try our vocabulary quizzes.
Students ages 13 and older in the United States and the United Kingdom, and 16 and older elsewhere, can comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff.
The Word of the Day is provided by Vocabulary.com. Learn more and see usage examples across a range of subjects in the Vocabulary.com Dictionary. See every Word of the Day in this column.
The word zhuzh has appeared in 14 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on Dec. 31 in “How Will We Eat in 2025? 9 Predictions to Chew On” by Kim Severson:
Japanese convenience stores, popularly known as konbini, are open 24 hours and revered for well-prepared foods like onigiri, ramen and the egg salad sandwiches on milk bread that Anthony Bourdain loved. Soon, the Japanese parent company of 7-Eleven will start to export its konbini-style food to some American stores.
That’s not the only zhuzh coming in convenience-store fare. Gas stations are preparing made-to-order meals, selling their own brand of frozen foods, stocking salads with local produce and creating coffee bars with as many opportunities for customization as Starbucks. The East Coast chain Wawa is bringing its much-loved sandwiches to the South, and the Texas-born Buc-ee’s is taking its brisket to more states. We’re still a long way from road food as good as you’d get at an Italian Autogrill, but we’re getting closer.
Can you correctly use the word zhuzh in a sentence?
Based on the definition and example provided, write a sentence using today’s Word of the Day and share it as a comment on this article. It is most important that your sentence makes sense and demonstrates that you understand the word’s definition, but we also encourage you to be creative and have fun.
If you want a better idea of how zhuzh can be used in a sentence, read these usage examples on Vocabulary.com. You can also visit this guide to learn how to use IPA symbols to show how different words are pronounced.
If you enjoy this daily challenge, try our vocabulary quizzes.
Students ages 13 and older in the United States and the United Kingdom, and 16 and older elsewhere, can comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff.
The Word of the Day is provided by Vocabulary.com. Learn more and see usage examples across a range of subjects in the Vocabulary.com Dictionary. See every Word of the Day in this column.
Thinking about learning to code but not sure where to start? One of the most common questions we hear is, “Which programming language should I learn first?”
The answer is: It depends. As Web Developer Pat DePuydt explains in the video below, the tech industry changes fast. And with over 600 possible languages to choose from, it can feel daunting to find the one that best suits your needs.
Still, it basically comes down to what you’re looking to achieve. Here, we’ll explore some of the most popular languages (and their uses) so that you’ll have a better idea of which one is right for you.
But, before we dive into different programming languages, let’s first address some common questions.
Programming languages are the tools we use to write instructions for computers to follow. Computers think in binary, and programming languages help us translate 1s and 0s into code that humans can understand.
Programmers are the ambassadors between the worlds of humans and computers, and programming languages are the tools they use to tell computers what to do.
New developers often hesitate before picking up a programming language, fearing they’ll waste time and energy learning something they’ll never use. But the truth is, there’s really no such thing as picking the “wrong” language. No matter which language you choose, you’ll still be learning valuable skills.
Programming languages may look different on the surface, but they have a lot in common. They share similar patterns and structures, and by learning one language, you’ll be introduced to key coding concepts that’ll help you learn other languages in the future. Once you pick up your first programming language — no matter which you choose — it’ll be easier to pick others up.
Plus, it’s not uncommon for developers to move between different languages throughout their careers as they’re asked to solve different sorts of problems. You’re definitely not locked into using the first programming language you choose. So don’t worry too much about focusing on whether you’re learning the “best” programming language. Instead, focus on gaining that foundational knowledge with whatever language you choose.
Now that you’ve got some background, it’s time to decide what programming language you should choose. There are a couple of routes you can go with making this decision. The first is to choose a programming language based on your goal, and the second is to choose a programming language based on what’s the most in-demand or popular in the industry.
Why do you want to learn a programming language? Are you programming just for fun? Curious about what coding is like? Trying to build something specific or get a new job? Answering this question is a great way to get an idea of what language might be best to start with.
That’s why our free course Choosing a Career in Tech walks through some of the most popular careers in the field and the skills they require. It’s like working in reverse: Once you know where you want to end up, it’s easier to figure out how to get there.
If you’re just learning for fun, pick any language you like! Some popular languages for those starting out include HTML, CSS, JavaScript, or Python. (More on these languages below!)
If you’re at the very beginning of your coding journey, you’ll want to learn basic markup languages like HTML and CSS to get your foot in the door. These two are essential to front-end web development and can be used to structure and design attractive web pages with interactive elements.
Learning HTML and CSS is an excellent starting point for those who want to build websites from the ground up. Once you’re familiar with HTML/CSS, you can move on to languages and libraries like JavaScript or React to give your website the functionality it needs. Keep in mind that you’ll need to showcase a diverse portfolio of your past projects to become a Web Developer.
Want to analyze data? SQL is great for data management, and Python and R are good starting places for data visualization. Ruby, JavaScript, and Python are useful for automating tasks.
If you’re looking to make a career transition or get a new job, talk to people in the industry you’re interested in. If you’re interested in mobile development, web design, data science, IT, AI, or another industry, reach out to folks in those communities and ask what a typical day looks like for them. What languages do they use? Which do they recommend starting with?
If you don’t know any developers personally, create a thread in the Codecademy forums or our community on Facebook to ask for advice.
Python is known as a beginner-friendly language because of its high-level, readable syntax. Unlike many older, low-level languages Python is very concise and familiar: Code statements are intuitive and read much more like conventionally written instructions.
R is another popular first language, especially in academia, due to its strengths in scientific and statistical computing. Like Python, it has a very large community of users and developers that provide a rich ecosystem of libraries and learning resources that are particularly useful for new programmers.
JavaScript is the language of the web, and as a result, it’s an incredibly popular and well-documented language. It has become more user-friendly over the course of its more recent development, and there are alternatives available that users can migrate to after learning the basics. For example, Typescript is a superset of JavaScript, that provides additional syntax and features that make developing applications in JavaScript easier.
In truth, every language has its own pros and cons for beginners. In our free course Choosing a Programming Language, we take a closer look at the applications of popular programming languages and their learning curves.
If you’re considering a career in coding, stick to mainstream languages when you’re getting started. They generate the highest demand in the tech industry, with most job openings listing them as required skills for entry-level developers.
Here’s a list of some of the most popular programming languages and what they’re used for:
In Stack Overflow’s survey of thousands of developers around the world, 23% listed C++ as their favorite programming language. It’s a powerful, all-purpose programming language used for building applications with faster performance and far more effective scalability. In fact, the basic foundation of most Windows software was written in C++.
C++ is ideal for managing resource-heavy applications, like web browsers, operating systems, desktop apps, cloud computing, and even video games. It’s used in a variety of industries, including VR, robotics, software and game development, and scientific computing. The key features of this language are its cross-platform hardware support and adaptability to a changing internal environment.
C# is Microsoft’s programming language. Being one of the most popular languages, with 27.1% of developers naming it as their favorite in Stack Overflow’s survey, it has since been adopted into the Windows, Linux, and iOS and Android platforms. C# is also known for having a huge collection of libraries and frameworks.
It’s often the language of choice for game developers and mobile app creators, though it’s also used in enterprise software like Azure and IoT. If you’re interested in game design, you’ll most likely encounter C# when building assets in the Unity engine for a new game.
JavaScript is a dynamic programming language used primarily in web development to design interactive, user-friendly websites. It provides stylized web pages with added functionality and allows brands to increase their user engagement by displaying animated elements on their websites.
JavaScript is the most popular language in Stack Overflow’s Developer Survey at 62.3%. This versatile programming language is the core component of web browsers and is suitable for most beginners who are curious about front-end web development or mobile game development.
Ruby is a general-purpose, dynamic programming language, most popularly implemented with the Ruby on Rails (Rails) framework. Only 5.2% of surveyed developers listed it as their favorite, but it provides developers with cutting-edge features, all thanks to its concise syntax and object-oriented support.
Although Ruby is a back-end language, it’s designed to be readable by people instead of just machines, and it’s turned into a staple language used by companies like Twitter, Airbnb, and GitHub.
Python is another general-purpose programming language, and ranks as the third favorite programming language in Stack Overflow’s survey (51%). It plays an important part in data science, machine learning, and web development. You can even use it to program desktop applications. This versatility is one of the reasons why it’s ranked as the fourth most popular programming language in the survey linked above.
Python has a low barrier to entry. It’s simple but elegant, with many real-world applications — one notable example being artificial intelligence. As seen in web scraping, Python has the capability to extract a large amount of data.
R is another programming language used for data analysis and visualization. It has statistical computing capabilities that make it a helpful tool for data scientists and business analysts. R serves a specific niche, but it’s quite popular in the data science industry, being 4.3% of developers’ favorite language.
SQL (pronounced “sequel”) is a data-driven programming language. Its purpose is to store information into separate data sets so you can retrieve them to generate accurate reports based on your search query. SQL is an absolute must for any aspiring Data Scientist, given that data science uses relational databases. But, it’s not the best language for building apps from scratch.
SQL is the fourth most popular programming language in Stack Overflow’s survey (51%), and it’s even helpful for non-technical careers. SQL also allows marketers to translate and analyze business data to understand how well certain products perform on the market or which sales funnels are converting leads into customers.
If you’re still unsure about which programming language to learn first, we’ve got a couple more tools to help you out.
The first is our free course Learn to Code with Blockly, in which you’ll learn programming fundamentals and concepts shared between languages. Then, once you understand how coding actually works, try our coding personality quiz to find out which language is right for you. It’s kind of like a personality test, but for programming. Basically, it determines which language best matches your approach to problem-solving.
You can also check out our Code Foundations skill path. Code Foundations will introduce you to the world of code, explain the paths of web development, data science, and computer science, and help you make an educated decision about which path (and language) is right for you.
This blog was originally published in August 2020, and has been updated to include the latest statistics, as well as new details about our course offerings.
Whether you’re looking to break into a new career, build your technical skills, or just code for fun, we’re here to help every step of the way. Check out our blog post about how to choose the best Codecademy plan for you to learn about our structured courses, professional certifications, interview prep resources, career services, and more.
I think about this a lot in school — each test, assignment, and class is different for everybody. Some people are meant to be smart and study, but others are meant to be singers, actors, or comedians. Why are these people, all with unique abilities, expected to “excel” in school? They all have different, unique abilities, and the outcome of a specific task is going to be different for everybody. For example: If a phenomenal singer works really hard in school but fails a test, does that necessarily show who they are as a person? No — they worked hard and that’s what should count. I think that instead of focusing on “excellence” in school, we should focus on a person’s dedication, potential, work ethic, and unique capabilities.
— Jack, Glenbard West High School
As a student, I think teachers should grade students by effort because it shows how much work we put into the assignment. When students are learning, some understand things slower and overthink, unlike others who just write right away because everyone struggles with different things when learning. When students hear you’ll be getting graded on effort, it motivates them to work harder.
Although the essay’s author underscores the importance of teaching students that one’s work cannot guarantee success, comparing these ideas to an Olympian winning a medal for quick swimming rather than best training, students may be discouraged from improving their grades. Thus, a teacher must recognize student effort, and consider incorporating it into their grade.
As a student myself, it is upsetting when I participate, turn in assignments, and study and end up with a B in the class while my other classmate doesn’t participate often, never studies, and turns in assignments but is a great test taker and ends up with an A in the class. Some may argue that the overall grading system pushes students to work harder but I disagree. When a student sees that they have gotten an F on an assignment after they have been an above average student their whole life, they feel disappointed at first but if it becomes a consistent outcome, most students will feel burnt out and give up.
— Alexis, Glenbard West High School
Personally I think grades must be mainly based on effort. Because I think effort its one of the most important things at school. Its better to be a student that tries, study and tells the lesson than a student that doesn’t care and is good only at tests and exercises.
