As with many professions, in software engineering, you also have to keep up with the latest trends to stay competitive among your peers. One of such trends is a new programming language. This post focuses on how to approach learning a new language.
First and foremost, you must master skills in one programming language before moving onto the other. Because most programming languages share the same principles. You will understand a particular feature in the new language easier when you already have context about it. You will also have an anchor point to compare against which helps to think up challenging technical questions. The more questions you raise, the better you understand.
I prefer reading books over other alternatives when it comes to learning a programming language because the books provide a structured way of exploring and usually cover more details. Of course, my preference should not stop you from choosing other means of studying because some people tend to grasp better from listening and prefer to take a course whereas others learn faster from unstructured learning.
You must code. You must include coding practice in your learning path. Otherwise, the knowledge you gained from reading or listening will not stick to your memory. LeetCode, HackerRank, and Codeforces offer a great set of problems you can practice with. Don’t limit yourself to these platforms. Look for other ways to apply your knowledge. For example, build pet projects.
Lastly, be open to challenge your beliefs and don’t get caught in a monkey trap.