VOA常速英语:学生们聚集在美国、国外学习“通用语言”：编码

At the Microsoft store in New York City, a handful of students have gathered to learn a new language.A world away in Lagos, Nigeria, a different set of students are embarking on a similar journey.

“Coding is a universal language.Coding is the language of solving problems.”

Every website and mobile application we interact with is coded using various programming languages,the fundamentals of which can be taught to someone as young as 4.

“It’s very rare that a new literacy comes along in our lifetime.And it absolutely can be democratized.”

To that end, Microsoft has partnered with noNPRofit Code.org to offer free workshops and online tutorials.

The company is also building on efforts abroad, partnering with 25 aspiring entrepreneurs in Lagos, Nigeria.

“Many of our entrepreneurs aren’t technical.But that doesn’t mean they don’t know what problems exist in Nigeria and they don’t have a solution to fix it.”

Among those solutions are startups like OneTrack, which aims to deter child- kidnapping to a mobile tracking.

The cultural exchange was illuminating, even when it wasn’t.

“We were coding one night ... we’re working on prototypes, the lights go out, no one notices. They just keep typing, to them, it’s a way of life.”

A way of life that provided invaluable feedback.

“One of the things that we are actively focusing on now is, how can we have a better off-line experience for our products.For us, it’s about learning.”

These lessons will ultimately guide the next generation of digital pioneers,whether they originate in New York or Nigeria.

Tina Trinh, VOA news, New York.