What if I told you that learning a new coding language is as simple as opening a bank account? Okay, I'm kidding—opening a bank account isn't always that easy, but learning a new coding language is. In 2024, it's easier than ever to learn any coding language fast, and that's exactly what this article will cover: how you can learn a new coding language quickly without spending any money.
Just a couple of years ago, OpenAI introduced ChatGPT, and since then, generative AI has become mainstream. If you're still unfamiliar with generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Bard, you are definitely missing out. ChatGPT is a natural language processing tool that allows you to converse with it naturally, much like you would with a human.
For our purposes, we'll treat ChatGPT as our virtual teacher. We will customize the learning experience for our specific skill set and background, having it teach us in a way that best suits our learning style. Think of it as a free, AI-powered virtual assistant or teacher.
The language we will focus on today is Python. As someone who has worked extensively in the data space, I love Python for its data visualization and data analysis capabilities. There are numerous cool libraries in Python that are incredibly useful for these tasks. I find Python to be very versatile and easy to learn, especially as a first language.
Step 1: Configure Your AI Tutor
The first thing we'll do is configure ChatGPT by giving it a basic understanding of who you are. What is your background? What is your skill set? How much Python do you already know? How will you be using it? Are you using it for data analysis, data visualization, or building programs?
I'll be using the free version, GPT-3.5, to ensure everyone can follow along. First, I'll train ChatGPT by telling it exactly what I want it to do.
Prompt Example: "My background is in SQL, but I don't know any other coding languages. The language I want to learn is Python. My primary use case is to perform data analysis and create compelling visualizations. My role is a data scientist, and my goal is to become proficient in Python for these tasks."
After entering this, ChatGPT will start providing instructions and a basic roadmap.
Step 2: Create a Custom 8-Week Curriculum
To make the learning plan more specific, you can ask for a detailed curriculum. Since we've already configured it for the data space, the curriculum will be tailored accordingly.
Prompt Example: "Can you create an 8-week curriculum for me to learn Python for data analysis?"
Here’s a sample of what it might generate:
- Week 1: Python Basics
- Day 1-2: Installing Python and setting up your environment.
- Day 3-4: Learning about variables, data types, and basic inputs/outputs.
- Week 2: Python Data Structures
- Focus on lists, tuples, dictionaries, and sets.
- Week 3: Introduction to Data Analysis Libraries
- Introduction to NumPy, Pandas, and data visualization libraries.
- Week 4-7: Deeper Dive into Data Analysis
- More advanced topics in Pandas, data cleaning, and visualization techniques.
- Week 8: Final Project
- Apply everything you've learned to a real-world dataset.
This gives you a basic idea. To get the best results, provide as much detail about yourself as possible. This allows the AI to create a highly customized curriculum that few online courses can offer without a private tutor.
Step 3: Master Specific Subjects
Once you have your curriculum, you can have the AI teach you specific subjects in detail. For example, in week three, you might be learning about Python libraries for data visualization.
Prompt Example: "Can you provide more detailed learning material for NumPy from my week 3 plan?"
The AI might break it down further into a multi-day plan for learning just that library. Similarly, if week six covers merging and joining data, you can ask for a detailed plan on that specific topic. As you can see, you can keep drilling down into specific days and subjects, building out your knowledge piece by piece.
Of course, while a generative AI tool can provide the curriculum, it's up to you to do the work. It can give you all the resources you need, but you must put in the effort to learn. If you follow the plan, you can learn the language in 8 weeks.
Advanced Learning Techniques
Here are a few other ways you can use your AI tutor to accelerate your learning.
Translate Code from a Language You Know
If you're coming from another language like SQL, you can have ChatGPT translate code you already understand into Python. This is a fantastic way to bridge your existing knowledge.
Prompt Example: "Turn this SQL code into Python using the Pandas library."
SQL Code:
sql
SELECT user_id, COUNT(order_id) as order_count
FROM orders
WHERE order_date >= '2024-01-01'
GROUP BY user_id
HAVING COUNT(order_id) > 5;
ChatGPT can convert this into an equivalent Python script, helping you see the parallels between the two languages. The possibilities are endless—you can convert from Java to Python, JavaScript to another language, and so on.
Get Code Explanations
If you come across a code snippet on a forum like Stack Overflow and need more clarification, you can paste it into the chat and ask for an explanation.
Prompt Example: "Can you add comments to this Python code to explain what it does?"
Python Code:
python
def get_even_numbers(data):
return [x for x in data if x % 2 == 0]
The AI will add line-by-line comments, and you can ask follow-up questions about any specific part you don't understand. This is an excellent way to learn, especially if you don't have access to colleagues who can explain their code to you.
Debugging and Pair Programming
Debugging is another area where an AI assistant can be incredibly helpful. If you've written code that isn't working, try to figure it out on your own first. But if you hit a dead end, you can ask the AI for help.
Prompt Example: "Can you help me debug this code and tell me what is wrong?"
This turns the AI into a pair programming partner, which can be a massive productivity boost.
A Word of Caution
It's amazing that tools like ChatGPT, Bard, and Claude AI are available to help you learn. Learning a new coding language is one of the best use cases for generative AI.
However, it goes without saying that there are drawbacks. Especially if you are new to a coding language, you might not be able to identify if the AI's output is correct or follows best practices. Always be cautious when using any generative AI tool. The responses can also be somewhat generic, even with customization.
Despite these limitations, using AI as a virtual tutor is a powerful and satisfying way to learn something new.