Earlier quoted context omitted.
How do you deal with programming languages' being so based on English?
(In Japanese) For beginners to medium level programmers, there are more than enough learning materials (online, books) in the language. We also have the Japanese words for most of CS terms such as object-oriented programming.
Ask HN: Can you discuss CS in your native language?
141–150 of 174 posts
Re: Ask HN: Can you discuss CS in your native language?
#142Re: Ask HN: Can you discuss CS in your native language?
#143I'm German. theoretical CS and maths terms are no problem because they all have a German equivalent. More programming related lingo is more difficult because it's so heavily dominated by the anglosphere that I (and a lot of people I know) just adopt the english phrases. Like git vocabulary or language related stuff.
What about naming variables, classes, files, etc.?
Re: Ask HN: Can you discuss CS in your native language?
#144Yes, I talk (almost) exclusively German to my co workers / friends etc. However a lot of CS specific English terms are used and adapted to fit German grammar. Example: Committest du in den Master oder hast du einen neuen Branch angelegt? (Are you comitting into the master branch or did you create a new one)
I’m curious as to why master and branch are borrowed rather than translated. Those seem straightforward enough to translate. But then again, I don’t speak German and I’m not a linguist.
Generally, abstract or mathematical concepts tend to have German words, but even those aren't always used. Things specific to tools/technologies typically don't, and few bother coming up with German equivalents. And German doesn't mind integrating other words, even mixing them in compound nouns with German ones.
Re: Ask HN: Can you discuss CS in your native language?
#145Coming from Latin America I would have never imagined before this thread that so many large countries would not teach CS in their own languages, and would have to speak in English amongst themselves! It's fascinating, over here we incorporate thousands of English words into the Spanish IT lingo, but while they can could roughly communicate in English, most people I know wouldn't be able to have a discussion entirely…
Re: Ask HN: Can you discuss CS in your native language?
#146Yes, I talk (almost) exclusively German to my co workers / friends etc. However a lot of CS specific English terms are used and adapted to fit German grammar. Example: Committest du in den Master oder hast du einen neuen Branch angelegt? (Are you comitting into the master branch or did you create a new one)
As someone who grew up bilingual German/English this is really hard for me, I end up getting really confused while speaking (in German) about technical to-I a because I’m never sure which words have been “eingedeutscht” and which haven’t. So I try to do in English and end up speaking Denglish instead. :). A personal failing of course, but amusing.
Re: Ask HN: Can you discuss CS in your native language?
#147Earlier quoted context omitted.
How do you deal with programming languages' being so based on English?
I do not see programming language as English. Sure it may use alphabet and borrow some english word but to me it still hardly english.
Assembly language was invented and created in english to make it easier for english speaking developers to program. Nobody wants to program machine code.
Then higher level languages were invented to make it easier for english speaking developers to program. Nobody wants to write assembly code.
If java, javascript, C#, C, C++, etc aren't english language programming languages, then what language is it? Spanish? Japanese? Swedish?
Re: Ask HN: Can you discuss CS in your native language?
#148Earlier quoted context omitted.
I do not see programming language as English. Sure it may use alphabet and borrow some english word but to me it still hardly english.
> I do not see programming language as English. Sure it may use alphabet and borrow some english word but to me it still hardly english. Assembly language was invented and created in english to make it easier for english speaking developers to program. Nobody wants to program machine code. Then higher level languages were invented to make it easier for english speaking developers to program. Nobody wants to write ass…
What languages? Its a language in its own right. Its a programming language. Specifically java, javascript, C#, C, C++ language.
Re: Ask HN: Can you discuss CS in your native language?
#149Earlier quoted context omitted.
Knowing English definitely is an advantage, but how big? If you’re not interested in an international careeer (many people aren’t), you have quality education available in your local language, and there’s a thriving local tech scene I don’t see why it has to be that much of a disadvantage. There are many other languages that are big and used by tens of millions of people. In most of those languages you can find all t…
From my personal experience, best example is "You see an exception/error, search google, click the first stackoverflow link". You can of course find the answer in your native language also, but it will be less likely it exists, it will be harder to find, and less "peer-reviewed".
There are tons of resources in other languages but you wouldn't aware of it, you wouldn't even know how to look for it because you don't know the language.
Re: Ask HN: Can you discuss CS in your native language?
#150Coming from Latin America I would have never imagined before this thread that so many large countries would not teach CS in their own languages, and would have to speak in English amongst themselves! It's fascinating, over here we incorporate thousands of English words into the Spanish IT lingo, but while they can could roughly communicate in English, most people I know wouldn't be able to have a discussion entirely…
Tiny difference, in continental Spain deploy is translated as "desplegar"
“America deployed her armies” => “América desplegó sus ejércitos”.