I agree with you that you will learn more through C or assembler (I had a few steps at both).

As sure as you learn more about your computer by using linux (with shell ofc) compared to windows, the marketing freaks want us to believe that computers are as easy to use as toasters ... ;-)

- But - i really was annoyed by C with my first steps (in programming at all), cause it was really hard to get something working, which was bad for motivation to do more.
(I regret now i actually never really did more, tried harder but i was a young padawan in these days ...)

Maybe this was also related to the fact that our "instructor" professor was a very good C Programmer but a very bad teacher ...
and we had to do C "Programming" on paper sheets cause there werent enough computers available for all students, but thats another story.


I learned much more at a 4 week fulltime intense course at "Basic" Programming with an excellent instructor (who was not the best programmer ;-)).

But that depends on you i am only (partly) an autodidact but its much easier for me to get a small basic (by a course e.g.) from which i can teach myself.
hth