Hello, Im a teacher at a vocational school in Germ...

# education

[MaximilianH]

Hello, Im a teacher at a vocational school in Germany. This year I use Kotlin in one of my classes. Some of my colleagues are not very happy with this decision. Their main argument is that Kotlin is to different from C++ and the pupils have to learn C++ in their second year. I think learning to programm is more about concepts and to learn a different syntax is not too hard but I see their argument. In the next two weeks we meet to choose a programming language that everbody should teach. So, I have the chance to convince everbody else of Kotlin or I have to use Java😥. Do you have materials about the benefits of learning Kotlin as a first language?

[Ksenia Shneyveys]

Hi Maximilian! Thank you for advocating for Kotlin!
We have gathered some facts that could help you convince your colleagues here: Why teach Kotlin. The number of top universities teaching courses using Kotlin is even higher now - over 400.
The facts that usually help Kotlin win over other alternatives like Java are:
• Clear syntax and brevity that make learning more engaging for beginners
• Concise syntax also facilitates understanding of the fundamentals, so it's easier for students to adapt to other languages, including C++, in subsequent years
• Focus on preventing null pointer exceptions
• Support for multiple paradigms
• Industry relevance -> employability
• Dedicated support to Kotlin educators and additional learning initiatives for students
• Learning multiple different languages is also a valuable skill

[MaximilianH]

Thank you very much for your help. I am absolutly convinced of these arguments. One of my collueges reacted very angry, because he thinks that Java ist much better🙄. One of his reasons to believe that, is the Java-Hamster https://www.java-hamster-modell.de/simulator.html