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Having also taught coding to new programmers: Yes, “like learning to speak a new language” is a bad metaphor if it’s delivered the way it’s presented in the text. However the same metaphor delivered with the added details that the language is very simple, and the listener very literal becomes good. And so goes the beginning CS class.

My two categories of coding learners might be: those that overthink it with amazingly creative ideas, and; those that don’t and accept it as simple. The latter group may learn syntax and algorithms more quickly, and the former’s liability quickly becomes an asset. The two groups rarely see eye-to-eye but collaborate powerfully.

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>The two groups rarely see eye-to-eye but collaborate powerfully

This resonates with me. I’ve worked with some programmers who I respect a lot but doing CRs my mind got blown because they took the hyper-efficient approach of “do the minimum but no more” and my mind is “well there’s this edge case, this can be refactored easily, you could hook this up here instead” and I’ve pretty much just accepted that my style isn’t their style. Code gets merged, business has continuity, I keep working with awesome people.

That said, I don’t really write a whole lot of code and never have. I still consider myself a SWE but I can typically make the computer do what I need it to using pre-existing things and scripts.