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##Great Expectations: Teachability as a function of a Language's Predictability and Expressiveness

In this talk I'd like to suggest a new way for us to think about how we teach and learn Ruby, and any language, by understanding a few aspects of programming language design. First, I'll talk about what it means for a language to be expressive, and then similarly address what it means for a language to be predictable. Then, we'll analyse several examples that demonstrate the practical and theoretical tradeoffs between predictability and expressiveness. During this analysis, we'll talk about common misconceptions and difficulties that each example presents for the language learner. From there, we'll identify where Ruby falls on the expressiveness/predictability spectrum and the unique challenges and benefits it affords the language learner, especially as a first language. In conclusion, we'll discuss how can we use our understanding of teachability as a function of a language's predictability and expressiveness to be better Ruby teachers and learners.

https://ruby.onales.com/proposals/93553e14-7704-11e3-9288-22000aeb077d