What languages should a schoolchild learn to become a programmer? Expert advice

For schoolchildren interested in programming, it is worth focusing on learning versatile languages that will be valuable in any IT field and beyond. This was shared by the academic director of school programs at Yandex, and the head of Yandex Lyceum, Alexander Pavolotsky.

According to him, knowledge of programming languages will be beneficial not only for future tech professionals but also for schoolchildren planning to pursue socio-humanitarian disciplines. He highlighted universal languages such as Python, C++, C#, and Java. For instance, Python is widely used for data processing in various fields, and proficiency in it makes a professional more competitive in the job market.

"Python is useful in any field where calculations or analytics need to be performed, such as for economists, marketers, or sociologists. Although Excel can handle some similar tasks, knowledge of a programming language distinguishes a professional and makes them a sought-after specialist, not just an ordinary employee," he emphasized.

According to the expert, future engineers will benefit from languages like C, C++, and Python for high-level modeling and machine learning tasks.

For those contemplating a career as software engineers without specific preferences, starting with learning any programming language, such as Python, C++, C#, or Java, is a good approach. Additionally, attention can be given to the relatively newer programming language, Go.

"It's easier to master Go if you have basic knowledge of C since Go inherited much from its predecessor. It is also more stable and frequently used in the development of web services, advertising tools, and voice assistants," added Pavolotsky.

For competitive students participating in Olympiads, he mentioned that a solid understanding of Python is essential to successfully navigate the initial stages of competitions, and proficiency in C++ is necessary for solving more complex problems, such as algorithm development.