what kind of programming language would you recommend for a computer engineer thats also a freshmen in high school?

Python is a good start.

C/C++ if you want to understand how computer works.

Java/Javascripts if you want to learn Web programming.

C

The most basic, raw, down to metal high-level language. Most modern languages are built on some flavor of C. So, basically learn C and learn it good.

In my experience, I would definitely recommend to learn the basics 1st (C#). As far as what I have noticed being used in companies, I would say Javascript and SQL the most, but Python is also very much in demand.

If you think you are interested in Computer Science and programming, the quintessential course that you NEED to view lecture materials for is Harvard's CS50. All of the lectures are available for anyone to view for free online (enrolled or not).

Here is the link to the 1st one

https://video.cs50.net/2017/fall/lectures/1

There are 12 lectures in total. In order to view them all just replace the 1 at the end with a 2...then 3...then 4 etc. until you reach the number 12.

These are absolutely fantastic videos.

The programming language eco system is exploding. Some very generic and some provide great way to solve a specific domain of problems. On high level, they are all about syntactic sugar to model problems and how its syntax and constructs help solve. I have gone through low level Assembly level to 4th gen (such as SQL) during school and career. At the end, they all are implemented (under the hood) in C/C++ (or other low level procedural language, that comes close to machine language) to convert to machine specific assembly lang (which uses native "instruction set" of the associated CPU).

For any career as a computer engineer, I think it is essential to "know" the breadth of available languages, what they are good for, and how they are executed (compiled vs interpreted etc). For pure mastery, start with C (I would not recommend C++), and go to Java, which is great for Object Oriented domain. You should also know one or two scripting style languages like Perl (or PHP, or Python), which if you like can do great things with. JavaScript (ECMAScript) introduces a totally new way to think about OOP, based on its "prototype" based concepts, unlike Java, which is purely type-based (think of Classes). Look at the latest trend in list of popular languages and JavaScript is spiking fast (but is little harder to master). Another language that is easy to learn and get going is Python.

Assuming no prior experience in programming, I'd suggest learning with something like Python (e.g. following LearnPythonTheHardWay).

If you have access to someone who knows what they're doing to bounce questions off of, maybe Lisp (scheme) + SICP: https://mitpress.mit.edu/sites/default/files/sicp/index.html

If you have access to ap comp sci course later on, I think they use Java (though I really don't know), so that might work as well.

If you're dead set on comp E instead of just comp sci, then you'll eventually want to knuckle down and learn C, the most trigger happy of all foot-guns available.

For beginner, I would definitely recommend Python. It is very easy to pick up and allows you to build something really quick. And you don't have to deal with compilation stuff for Java or C++. Besides, Python is also a very versatile language that is being used in areas of programming, web site, data process, data analysis, machine learning and computer vision, etc. The list is still getting longer and longer. Once you get into programming, you can pick another language like Java or C++ to dive deeper into how computer program works. There will be advanced topics like memory allocation stuff but you don't have to deal with that in Python at all.

At last but not least, you will hear a lot of people saying: Life is short, you need Python.

The language of choice depends largely on the field you are working in.

As a developer in networking domain, C and C++ are largely popular among organisations.

For web development, there are again different branches like front-end, back-end or fullstack. Javascript and NodeJS are quite popular for fullstack development.

In Machine Learning development, Python is number one.

For testing framework, Python is the language most organisations are either working with or switching to.

You asked a very important question. The answer would vary based upon the career interests of the individual as computer engineers are used in a great variety of applications. Here are some steps that will allow you to decide which would be best for you as an individual and be most helpful in your education/career journey. Based upon my many years in Human Resources and College Recruiting, these steps are very important in ending up in career/job that is fulfilling and satisfying. I have run into too many graduates who skipped these steps only to end up in a career area that did not fit. Selecting a career area is like buying a pair of shoes. One has to be sure that the fit and comfort level are correct before making a commitment.

Programming is an art. I strongly recommend start reading 'Let us C' book written by Yashwant Kanetkar. Once you get an idea of what magic few lines of code can do, you'll start developing immense interest in C.

After practicing syntax/loops/variables/functions/data structures/few beginner level codes, you can switch to learn Python. I must say - Python is the future. Also, you don't need to invest same time learning Python language as you spent in learning C, because 80% concepts are similar except OOP (Object Oriented Programming).

Trust me, all programming languages are very much similar to each other. Logic remains same, only syntax changes.

I've worked in several large companies as a consultant to help customers and partners build applications that interact with our software products. Enterprise software companies typically offer access to their services through Software Development Kits (SDKs). It has been interesting watching how the technology/language trends have evolved over time.

For beginners, I would recommend Python. It has a simple syntax but can be an extremely powerful language to use. It works well for demonstrating concepts and there are an abundance of books/tutorials available.

Next, I would probably look at JavaScript. If you learn this language, you can start experimenting with building websites that do a bit more than just display information with HTML. Once you understand JavaScript, you could then start using it in more advanced server-side frameworks such as Node.js and React.

Python

It's a friendly, open-source based language used by the masses.

Different People find different programming language interesting. Generally, high level language is easier to understand for freshmen. For example, C is more readable than Assembly. Both of them are very useful. Linux kernel is written with C and Assembly. C sync is very clean and structured, which can help freshmen develop a good practice with programming.