I like Erlang's syntax. The punctuation rules make sense to me and I appreciate how it allows greater code density on the page. When I do have trouble scanning

I like Erlang's syntax. The punctuation rules make sense to me and I appreciate how it allows greater code density on the page. When I do have trouble scanning code, it's generally due to the heavy use of pattern matching for flow control. So, I really don't have any feeling for how much of a problem this is for people. That said, I want to recommend languages that introduce people to new ideas with a minimum of distractions. If the syntax is an issue, then I should point to alternatives. For the important concepts in Erlang, I'd appreciate suggestions.