Don't consider learning a language like CoffeeScript or ClojureScript until you thoroughly understand JavaScript. I think it's much easier for a beginner to lea

Don't consider learning a language like CoffeeScript or ClojureScript until you thoroughly understand JavaScript. I think it's much easier for a beginner to learn JavaScript APIs (both built-in and third-party), which you'll need, from JavaScript examples without having to translate them to another language in the process. Also, I'm not sure you can use these other languages' features judiciously without understanding their reasons for doing things a certain way. You will need to know how `this' and `prototype' are used and things of that nature, then you can decide if you find the abstractions and overhead of compile-to-JS languages useful. CoffeeScript implements a classical OO system: http://www.crockford.com/javascript/inheritance.html http://www.crockford.com/javascript/inheritance.html