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Comment by koraybalci | Hacker News Reader

why not buying him a python book in Turkish? I know they exist. and yes you can get a computer related job in Turkey even if you don't have a diploma, pretty easily.. as a technician of course.

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I tried reading programming books in Romanian when I lived there and it made me cringe. I think fluency in English helps tremendously in a programming career and the earlier you start the easier it is to learn.

I agree.. but you also expect a poor teenager (who can't afford university education) to master second language alone so that he can teach himself programming.. well that's questionable imho..

I think it comes down to having an interest in it. Do you think that the English-only preparatory year in Turkey works for most people?

You don't need to master it either. Merely being able to read it is enough.

You're Turk, right? Doesn't the state support students from poor families?

English has become a key of sorts.

Most DIY education requires English.

Maybe it's just me but I would recommend that he start with a classic CS book and work back to python and the like. Something like "The C Programming Language". I learned more with a book like this than any modern ruby or python book. Plus the world will need C programmers for a long time. Knowing C is one of those skills that will be useful anywhere. If you know C you arguably can learn C++, C# or Java quickly and easily. And you'll have a respectable fundamental understanding of how computers work. Though I do agree that this is specific to this case. If it were a kid in high school in Northern California... it may be a different story.

The C Programming Language, Second Edition by Brian W. Kernighan and Dennis M. Ritchie

Turkish: C Programlama Dili, Sistem Yayincilik, ISBN 975322312-9.

http://netlib.bell-labs.com/cm/cs/cbook/

C = C++ = Java = C# = Perl = Visual Basic ect ect save some funny syntax

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