It depends on the purpose of such intro. For utility programming, even Excel formulas should be a reasonable entry into programming. The formulas, the IF, the index propagation demonstrate the basic programming concepts.
Once familiar with the logic of programming, the choice of language is not that critical. Python is ok, though, personally, I dislike the need for exact indents and often forget that colon...
I find that REPL is rather a complication than a utility in the beginning. Keeping the text of the program in view yeilds better control over the intended logic. In that regard a compiled or a scripted language is not that much of a difference.
In my experience, the hardest part to teach is the approach to decomposing a problem into logical steps. Well, that's the analysis part.
Once familiar with the logic of programming, the choice of language is not that critical. Python is ok, though, personally, I dislike the need for exact indents and often forget that colon...
I find that REPL is rather a complication than a utility in the beginning. Keeping the text of the program in view yeilds better control over the intended logic. In that regard a compiled or a scripted language is not that much of a difference.
In my experience, the hardest part to teach is the approach to decomposing a problem into logical steps. Well, that's the analysis part.