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I already know my language aptitude and it's very low, it's near impossible for me to learn another language. Could the language part of my brain be utilized f

• langthrow 13y ago
  >Could the language part of my brain be utilized for something else? Possibly, although as someone who has relatively easily learned as an adult 3 languages to varying degrees of proficiency, I've noticed that I learn the syntax of new programming languages with great ease, learning multiple PLs in the process, including ones of different paradigms. My ability to learn new algorithms, on the other hand, is very much below average -- at least among my HN peers. So if there indeed a correlation between learning natural languages and learning the syntax of programming languages, is possible that you good be bad at learning a new programming language but much better at algorithms, arguably more important to the working programmer, and definitely to the computer scientist.
  • dm2 13y ago
    What you said is definitely true from my personal experience, except rather than algorithms for me it's more that complex systems are easy. I'd prefer to master a select few languages rather than risk getting syntax, functions, and language specific concepts confused. Different languages (including programming languages) require memorization, and I'm much more of the type of person that can just figure things out rather than rely on it being memorized, not that either method is better, just an observation.