An objective comparison of languages for teaching introductory programming

Abstract

The question of which language to use in introductory pro-gramming has been cause for protracted debate, often based on emotive opinions. Several studies on the benefits of individual languages or comparisons between two languages have been conducted, but there is still a lack of objective data used to in-form these comparisons. This paper presents a list of criteria based on design decisions used by prominent teaching-language creators. The criteria, once justified, are then used to compare eleven languages which are currently used in introductory pro-gramming courses. Recommendations are made on how these criteria can be used or adapted for different situations.