Dr. Venkat Subramaniam
Be a Polyglot Learner First, Then a Polyglot Programmer
How dabbling in a new language now can lead to innovation later
Being a polyglot programmer has its benefits; most of us have read or heard about those benefits from various respectable sources. I’d like to highlight the importance of being a polyglot learner before being a polyglot programmer.
You heard me right—learn a new language, but don’t rush to use it in production. At least not right away. I have used this approach and have realized two major benefits:
- Enhanced design skills, and
- The ability to adapt quickly to an evolving mainstream language
Most programmers currently code in one of the mainstream languages like Java, C#, and C++. On a typical enterprise project, chances are we’re using one of these languages. It might seem like a tall order for most of us to be able to intermix other languages. However, it’s becoming more critical that we do. Let’s discuss why.