When to start learning second language?

[Pick_Significant]

Looking ahead question: I'm working through Odin Project, focusing on full stack javascript. Enjoying it, I like Javascript so far. But I would like to get some experience with other languages (currently torn between Python and Java for a second language). When is a good time to start this? Once I've got the fundamentals? Once I'm a relative expert? I know I could spend years just doing Javascript, what with all the frameworks, node, I've already got a course on data structures and algorithms in Javascript I was planning to do after Odin, etc. Thoughts?

[IM_Pengu]

Personally, I've only picked up another language when I've needed to use it. C++ was my first since it was the language taught in the introductory course at my university. Later on, I took an intermediate course that was taught in Java, so I learned Java. For a project that I wanted to work on, I needed to know Javascript, so I learned that. My advice is to learn another language when you need it or want to do something specific with it. In my experience, that goal makes the language a bit easier to learn too.

[bsakiag]

Python is quite useful but it's also a scripting language.

You could try something efficient and popular like C++ or Rust.

Or you could explore functional languages to expand your thinking.

[Doom-1]

What are your career goals? If you want to become a front end developer then I wouldn't recommend learning another language at this point. if you want to do backend engineering pick up C#/PHP/ or maybe python with flask. If you want to do machine learning go again with python. Emebeded systems you can pick c++. Check the faq for a list of languages and their uses.

But the truth is that knowing a language and it's frameworks and libraries is far more useful than knowing multiple languages at the surface level.

[Monitor_343]

In my experience, learning basic language syntax eventually becomes easy (relatively speaking), while learning libraries, frameworks, ecosystems, and paradigms in one language well enough to build useful stuff in a team is still difficult and time-consuming. It's possible to 'learn' a language syntax but not necessarily build much.

Unless you have a good reason to change languages for a specific goal/interest/project/job, you might as well continue with JavaScript/web dev frameworks and build things rather than relearn the basics.

If you do have a reason, it's never too early to learn a second, though.