In article <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, Aaron Watters <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> I would try to avoid talking > in generalities about python variables versus C or > lisp or whatever, unless I was teaching an upper division > college programming languages survey class. > > Instead, I'd fire up the interactive interpreter and > illustrate how things work via examples, avoiding the > weird cases at all costs. If they ask about the > relationship to C or java or whatever > I would encourage them to not worry about it, > and only go deeper if pressed. I don't know if that explains enough on its own - I suppose it depends on how ambitious your programmer is. But the key point is that by approaching it this way, you're teaching them how to teach themselves as required: write an example, see what happens. A programmer who does this by reflex and remains confused about how the language works is, in my opinion, not going to get very far anyway. (This may have changed somewhat in recent years as more esoteric junk has has been stuffed into the language, I haven't really been keeping track.) In contrast, I suspect that someone who learns Python concepts in terms of explanations like `boxes' or `pointers' or whatnot is at some disadvantage while that lasts, like translating a foreign language to your own instead of attaching meaning directly. Donn Cave, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
