From my view as a freelancer in the Netherlands, JavaScript demand is exploding - it's mostly front-end jobs that I see, but I also use it on the server too - while Ruby has lost quite a lot of mindshare. A CTO at a big multinational I work at and talk to often said he thinks Rails has "lost momentum".
Python is always somewhat in demand here, but it's a little more niche compared to JavaScript.
I would definitely aim for front-end first though. Something like: Start with the basics of the language; then DOM manipulation and basic animations with jQuery; then have a play with Backbone or Angular. Front-end is less hassle getting straight to learning due to the developer console. Server-side means setting up node, learning to use npm, and (god forbid) trying to setup mongodb or another DBMS. Not for newcomers.
Good luck! I think it's a sound career choice. Of course, 4/5 months will just scratch the surface and get her started... :)
From my view as a freelancer in the Netherlands, JavaScript demand is exploding - it's mostly front-end jobs that I see, but I also use it on the server too - while Ruby has lost quite a lot of mindshare. A CTO at a big multinational I work at and talk to often said he thinks Rails has "lost momentum".
Python is always somewhat in demand here, but it's a little more niche compared to JavaScript.
I would definitely aim for front-end first though. Something like: Start with the basics of the language; then DOM manipulation and basic animations with jQuery; then have a play with Backbone or Angular. Front-end is less hassle getting straight to learning due to the developer console. Server-side means setting up node, learning to use npm, and (god forbid) trying to setup mongodb or another DBMS. Not for newcomers.
Good luck! I think it's a sound career choice. Of course, 4/5 months will just scratch the surface and get her started... :)