The course i've started is an open university degree course in computing, which at level 1 (which i'm currently at) is supposed to just give a flavour of various computer subjects - including programming. A few of us argued it would be better to learn C as a) it was a proper computing langauge and b) was a better introduction to Java. I can't complain though I did get 92% on the assignment. Just to confuse matters I also have to learn a language called 'small talk' - has anyone heard of this language much less used it?