Why Language Skills Predict Faster Python Learning: New Study Reveals

When you think of learning a new language, you might imagine French, Spanish, or Chinese, but not Python or Java. A recent study from the University of Washington published in Scientific Reports finds that language ability and problem‑solving skills are the strongest predictors of how quickly people learn the popular programming language Python.

The study recruited 42 participants to take a 10‑session, 45‑minute online Python course on Codecademy; 36 completed it. Before the course, participants completed tests measuring math skills, working memory, problem solving, and foreign‑language learning ability.

During the course, researchers tracked learning speed and quiz performance, and after the course administered a final test and programming task to assess overall coding knowledge.

Key Findings

Programming performance correlates with general cognitive abilities (problem solving and working memory).

Learning speed correlates with both general cognitive abilities and language ability.

Language ability alone explains about 20% of the individual differences in Python learning speed.

Mathematical ability explains only about 2% of speed differences and does not predict performance.

Resting‑state EEG recordings taken before the online tasks revealed that participants with stronger beta‑oscillation activity learned Python faster and acquired richer programming knowledge. Prior research linked high beta activity to foreign‑language learning ability, supporting the connection between language skills and coding acquisition.

The results suggest that linguistic skills are a crucial factor in learning to code, challenging the common belief that programming is primarily a math‑intensive discipline. Educational programs might consider de‑emphasizing advanced mathematics requirements and focusing more on language‑related training to broaden participation, especially among women who tend to have higher language abilities.