<p>If he wants to do statistics work, languages like Java/C# will be among the less useful choices.</p>
<p>Also, this is already turning into a languages thread where everyone just lists their pet language. We should come up with some sort of progression that allows you to get into programming quickly/easily.</p>
<p>Python - start with this; it doesn’t have the cumbersome syntax of some other languages but is also very powerful, so it’s both a good teaching language as well as something you can do work with. It’s also increasingly being used in statistics work, so you’ll be able to do cool applications with your very first language.</p>
<p>C/C++ - After learning the basics of program control/flow, you can now learn some of lower-level stuff (like dealing with memory management). C++ is a natural extension of C, so you can learn it almost at the same time.</p>
<p>Java/R/SAS - Take your pick; at this point, you’ll have a few languages under your belt and can see what might be a good option to go with.</p>
<p>Edit: Does anyone else have any thoughts on this? Also, if you need help finding some good learning resources, just ask.</p>