Using LLMs to Learn a New Programming Language

The main benefit I’ve seen from using Copilot Chat is the decreased feeling of “loneliness” when learning a new language. The chat feature does feel more of a “copiloting” experience, as if I was pair programming with someone. Here are some practical dos and don’ts I came up with when integrating copilot chat in my learning process.

Language Exploration

Dos

• Request code examples
• Ask to explain documentation
• Translate code to other language
• Evaluate small experiments

Don’ts

• Not consult official documentation
• Provide huge chunks of code to explain
• Ask to validate assumptions

Familiar Minor Project

Dos

• Ask to generate project boilerplate
• Ask to organize basic requirements
• Ask questions about design patterns

Don’ts

• Let it do all the work
• Try to understand generated boilerplate

Coding Problems

Dos

• Use it as a cheatsheet
• Ask about available APIs/Data Structures
• Ask for test cases
• Request hints

Don’ts

• Ask to write the algorithm
• Use it as an autocomplete feature
• Ask for it to solve the problem

Capstone Project

Dos

• Use chat as a rubber duck
• Generate basic automated test suite

Don’ts

• Use auto-complete features
• Ask for hints
• Use auto-generated boilerplate