How to Choose a Programming Language to Learn In 2026
Look, I’m gonna be straight with you. I wasted two years learning random languages before I figured this out. Started with C++, then jumped to Java, then PHP… it was a mess. Eventually I landed on Python and never looked back. I’m Likhon Hussain, a Cloud Engineer and AI/ML guy, and I work with Python every single day. This article is basically me saving you from the same headache I went through.
Don’t Pick a Language Yet Figure Out What You Actually Want First
This is the thing nobody tells you. People start learning because they think programming is cool or they saw a job posting and got excited. Then three months later they’re bored out of their mind because they picked the wrong language.
When I decided to get serious about programming, I had no clue. I just thought “hey, programming pays well.” That’s not a reason. That’s a lottery ticket.
Ask yourself straight up: What do you want to do? Like, be honest. Do you want to build websites? Work with data and AI? Create apps? Automate stuff at your day job?
For me, it was AI and machine learning. I looked at what ML engineers were actually doing, what companies were hiring for, and guess what? Every single one used Python. TensorFlow, PyTorch, all that stuff it’s Python. So that made my choice pretty obvious.
If you’re trying to build websites, that’s different. You might go with JavaScript or Python. If you want to work with cloud infrastructure, Go or Python. See where I’m going? The goal comes first, the language comes second.
Location Actually Matters
I’m based in South Asia, and I can tell you right now the tech job market here is growing fast. But it’s not growing equally for every language.
If you’re in Dhaka or anywhere in Bangladesh, go check Bdjobs or LinkedIn right now. Filter for “programmer” or “developer” jobs. Count how many want Python. Count how many want Java. Count how many want Rust (spoiler: probably none). You’re looking for what companies in your area actually need, not what’s trendy on Twitter.
Remote work changed things though. You can get jobs from anywhere now. But even then, knowing what’s hiring locally gives you backup options.
Python Why It Just Works
Okay, I’m biased here, but I’m also right. Python is where I put my chips down years ago, and it’s been the right call.
Here’s why: Python doesn’t get in your way. When I was learning, I could focus on actually understanding what programming is about. I wasn’t fighting with memory management or weird syntax. The code reads almost like English.
python
for item in shopping_list:
print(item)That’s it. That’s readable. Even a non-programmer can probably guess what that does.
Compare that to other languages… and yeah, you understand why beginners appreciate Python. But here’s the kicker it’s not just for beginners. I use Python for serious work. Building data pipelines. Machine learning models. Cloud automation. Everything.
The libraries are insane too. Want to do machine learning? TensorFlow and PyTorch are there. Need data analysis? Pandas and NumPy. Web development? Django or Flask. It’s not like you outgrow Python. You just keep building bigger stuff with it.
JavaScript If You Want to Build Websites
If web development is your thing, you need JavaScript. There’s no way around it. Front-end is basically all JavaScript now. For back-end you can go different directions you could use Python with Django, or you could go full JavaScript with Node.js. Depends if you want to learn one language for both or use two.
The job market for JavaScript is nuts right now. Every company needs front-end developers. If that’s your goal, start here.
Go If You’re Into Cloud Infrastructure
I started working with Go a couple years ago when I got deeper into cloud engineering. It’s not as beginner-friendly as Python, but it’s clean and it’s what a lot of cloud tools are built with. Kubernetes, Docker, all these cloud tools? Go. If you’re thinking about DevOps or cloud engineering, Go is worth learning eventually. But honestly, start with Python first, then add Go later. That’s what I did.
The 2-3 Month Test
Don’t overthink this. Pick a language based on what you want to do, find a decent course or tutorial, and commit for 2-3 months.
I’m serious about this timeline. Two weeks is just not enough. You’re still confused. Three weeks and you’re getting somewhere but you’ll quit. Three months though? You’ve actually got real projects done. You understand if this language fits your brain or not.
When I picked Python, I didn’t just take one tutorial and call it good. I built stuff. A script to organize my files. A basic web scraper. A simple data analysis project. After three months, I was like “yeah, this is my language.” Then I kept going deeper.
Go Pick Something and Stop Overthinking
Honestly, this decision doesn’t need to be this hard. Here’s what you do:
- Figure out what you want to build or what job you want.
- Google what language people use for that.
- Spend an afternoon finding a tutorial that doesn’t suck.
- Start learning. Actually start. Don’t just watch videos build stuff.
- Commit for three months. Don’t jump around.
That’s it. That’s the whole process.
Will you pick perfectly? Probably not. Is that okay? Yes. The fundamentals you learn in one language transfer to the next. When I finally picked up Go, it was easy because I already understood loops, functions, data structures, all that core stuff. Your first language is just your first. You’re not married to it forever.
Real Talk My Python Story
I picked Python about five years ago. Wasn’t the coolest choice at the time, honestly. But it turned out to be the best decision I made for my career.
Started using it for small stuff. Automation scripts. Then got into data analysis. Then went all-in on machine learning. Now it’s just part of my workflow. Every AI/ML project I work on is Python. Every cloud automation tool I build uses Python. Every data pipeline I design is Python.
The reason? Because it just works. The community is massive so when you get stuck, there’s an answer. The libraries do the heavy lifting so you focus on the actual problem, not fighting the language. And the job market is ridiculous if I ever needed to find work, it’s literally everywhere.
Could I have picked JavaScript and had a great career? Yeah. Could I have gone with Go? Sure. But Python was the right choice for what I wanted to do. And it’s worked out.
Don’t Make This Harder Than It Is
People ask me this question all the time. “Which language should I learn?” And I give them the same answer: the one that matches what you want to do. Want to build apps and websites? JavaScript. Want to work with data and AI? Python. Want to build cloud tools? Go. Want to build low-level systems? Rust or C++.
Pick one. Start learning. Build projects. Stick with it for at least three months. That’s the whole thing. Everyone wants some magical answer, but there isn’t one. There’s just picking something that makes sense and actually putting in the work.
Stop waiting for permission to start. Stop trying to find the “perfect” language. You won’t know if it’s perfect until you’ve actually used it. Go learn something. Build something. That’s how you figure out if you made the right choice.
