how to improve basic programming language skills

Question

anonymous · Answer

First practice. Then find some exercises and do them. After all that....... practice. There is no way to gain skills in a given subject with practice. 

If you are struggling with a certain aspect of a language, try looking online for tutorials or example code. If that fails, try asking someone on a forum like this one.

e.mccormick · Answer

A formal course of study will help with the logic, flow of control, etc.  Where it gets into the deeper details of coding is in algorithms classes.  After that is it just what walking_stick said: practice.

anonymous · Answer

Indeed, What programming skill are you trying to take up?
People learn different ways, but I found it easier to look at other people codes and try to make a mimic of that. But yeah, that's me