Towards a Model of Conceptual Transfer for Students Learning New Programming Languages

As students learn computer science (CS), they will need to transfer skills and understanding from one programming language (PL) to another. Prior research has explored the transition between languages for (mainly experienced) programmers, identifying a number of challenges. I could not find research attempting to devise a model that describes how students' learning of programming concepts is affected during the shift between languages. I propose the first draft of a model to describe PL transfer for relative novices based on the literature and my observations of these students transitioning from procedural Python to Java. In the model, concepts in the new language may be Carryover, Changed or Novel; during the transition, learners automatically effect a transfer of semantics between languages based on matches made between the syntax of the two languages