Are Programming Languages Really Languages – Computer Science Teacher – Thoughts and Information from Alfred Thompson – Site Home – MSDN Blogs

So Alfred blogged about languages and computer science.  No a programming language is not a language – though my mother loves to brag to people that I have written production code in over 30 computer languages, not that she know what that means.

I did take 4 years of Latin.  I did that because a) it seemed easier to me because we only dealt with the written word, and b) I was told it would help me learn how to spell.

I have also learned enough German to read chess books and to command the average police dog.

Another reason I have heard is so that one can read research and other works in the original language. Perhaps that made a lot of sense when French and German were the principal languages of some areas of study. But today people write in far too many languages to make focusing on one make for a solid argument – well unless that language is English. An awful lot is written first in English even by people whose first language is not English. On the other hand there may be some value in being able to read code in the “original” language. It’s a theory.

Are Programming Languages Really Languages – Computer Science Teacher – Thoughts and Information from Alfred Thompson – Site Home – MSDN Blogs

So to answer his question.  After 4 years of Latin and translating numerous texts written in Latin, I spell better, I know instantly where a word comes from and what it means, and I have an intimate knowledge of things like the Aenid and the Odessey.  You read the darn thing and write your own translation, you get to know it pretty well.

I know a bunch of cultural references, especially those related to mythology and know them well.   I was also able to very easily read some documentation written by a French programmer once.  I can also read the mass notes that my students pass who are Spanish speakers.

I got to read some chess books and get some ideas from non-English speakers and I do think it made me a better chess player.  I gained rating points during the experience, but I know very little Chess German now.  I do know more dog German, as I trained some police dogs, but it sounds very little like what real German dog trainers say.

All were very fun intellectual activities, but they useful?  I’m not even sure.