Are Programming Languages Really Languages

re: Are Programming Languages Really Languages

Flat Earther — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 06:00:12 GMT

Yes, programming languages are really languages.

re: Are Programming Languages Really Languages

neo_virus — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 13:02:34 GMT

dude just reading your post gave me a segmentation fault...

re: Are Programming Languages Really Languages

Breaking thought free from (one) language — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 19:00:10 GMT

Learning multiple human languages teaches you that there is more than one way to think. Learning multiple computer languages does that, too, but only within the limited realm of what is computable.

re: Are Programming Languages Really Languages

AlanB — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 16:24:32 GMT

Alan8: I guess it depends upon how one defines "language."

A programming language is a way to "talk" to a computer. And one could argue that computers are multi-lingual since they understand many programming languages. That leaves open an argument as to how the computer ultimately uses the language after the compiler does its work.

If I know French, German and English and you say to me, "Let's go get lunch" I will understand you regardless of which of those languages you use. So... does that mean the human brain also uses something resembling the CLR? Just a thought.

re: Are Programming Languages Really Languages

Alan8 — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 15:09:34 GMT

Technically programming languages are languages. But substituting them for a natural foreign language is shortchanging the students.

Related foreign languages give you a better understanding of English. Even knowing just the basics of a foreign language is helpful. The few semesters of French I took long ago were a lifesaver when I had to get around in the French-speaking part of Switzerland when attending a conference there.

re: Are Programming Languages Really Languages

AlanB — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 14:36:35 GMT

In Europe, it's far more important to know multiple languages than in the USA. Why? Because in Europe you can jump in the car and travel between several nations in a day. And each of those nations has its own language. The USA, whether immigrant-activist groups like it or not, has one main language: English. We don't need to know any other language unless we frequently travel abroad. The majority of Americans never leave US soil unless it's a quick trip into Canada (predominately English) or Mexico. The tourism centers of Mexico have plenty of English-speaking people - probably more than the border cities, in fact. I know several programming languages. But I only speak English and see no benefit in learning a foreign language I'll never use.

re: Are Programming Languages Really Languages

Gouverneur Cadwallader — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 14:32:41 GMT

Learning another language definitely seems to improve the undersanding & usage of a person's native language.

This is very obvious in programming languages & bridge bidding systems. I started with assembly language & COBOL, later learning ALGOL, PL/1, Basic, & a few others. My COBOL code improved after learning ALGOL, whihc is nothing like the original COBOL language (Modern COBOL has added some syntax suggestive of ALGOL).

Most people do no realize that bridge bidding systems are languages. When I learned Kaplan/Sheinwold & Precision (to accomodate partners), I did better with Standard American.

BTW: Bridge has 38 words & simple syntax, but provides quite a bit of semantic content. There are more bidding sequences (approx. 10^47)than ways to deal a deck to 4 players (approx. 10^28).

re: Are Programming Languages Really Languages

Lindsay — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 14:28:20 GMT

I think we need to concentrate on teaching thinking and thinking skills - and how the various languages are tools for that. I see as much value in becoming proficient in music and music theory as becoming a fluent reader, writer and speaker of a foreign language. There is as much learning about math and handling symbolic logic as how to write a persuasive essay or a program to calulate a fibonacci sequence.

I see kids going through school with the thinking and reasoning skills of rocks. They have no curiousity, no ability to formulate questions and not much ability to concentrate or think deeply. Society and our school system is failing in this regard, whether they get 1 year of language or three.

re: Are Programming Languages Really Languages

Bman — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 14:13:32 GMT

Learning a language improves the mind. Learning a language in an american school or college however is a waste of time. I would suggest mandatory year in foreign language speaking country at age thirteen for all.

re: Are Programming Languages Really Languages

Kenny — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 13:50:01 GMT

Like foreign language students, very few programming students in the U.S. develop any useful skills.