DEV Community

Atibhi Agrawal
Atibhi Agrawal

Posted on • Updated on

How do you learn a new programming language?

Top comments (1)

Collapse
 
zimanaanalytics profile image
Zimana Analytics #BlackInDataWeek

Pick a task that you want to do with a language first. For example, you may want to create custom variables for an analytics tag. To do so limits the initial scope of the task to the essential questions, so you are not too overwhelmed at the start. If you approach it from just learning the language, it can be a bit easy to feel like you are on a never ending treadmill without a purpose. Start with an idea you want to express, then ask yourself of a language what is the syntax that will help me express that idea. (This is a longwinded way of stating "Learn By Doing" but you'll appreciate why I state it this way).

Another aspect to consider, it's sometimes can be helpful to see many examples from 3 or 4 different instructors. many people are teaching now, but everyone has a different emphasis or style. Follow along on a YouTube developer or a school course, and see how you feel about the practice materials. Most may seem beginner in nature, but each can reinforce general steps that will make it easier to appreciate syntax choices. Nothing should be entirely memorized -- that's not the point -- but you want some familiarity with steps so that when you are being creative, you won't feel "stuck at the keyboard".