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I read https://www.pyret.org/pyret-code/ and I still think it’s strange to not just use python or some other language that’s more marketable.

Presumably most people learning to code are doing so in the hopes of gainful employment at some point, so it’s handy to learn a language you can put on your resume to maybe get a job.

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Industrial languages and their syntax can be learned pretty quickly once core computer science concepts have been grokked.

I teach programming to complete beginners (adults) and I've experienced the exact opposite. For a beginner, the difficulty of learning a new language is really not to be underestimated. The new syntax, small differences in semantics here and there... it all adds up quickly and people get confused and overwhelmed.

All the more reason to use a purpose built teaching language without the cruft and with minimally necessary syntax, no?

I disagree, I think it's more valuable to learn a language that's "real" straight away, because even teaching languages have a lot of details and intricacies, and this way you only have to learn those once (at the beginning).

I'm not saying the other way can't work though, I've just experienced that this is easier.

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