[marssaxman]

One might as well claim that C++ has no syntax, as its source code is nothing but a linear series of undifferentiated octets. Scheme and other lisps have plenty of syntax; it's just expressed at a different level of abstraction than the one most languages use.

[spion]

C++ is an abomination - it should not only be avoided when teaching, but we should make all the effort to avoid it whenever possible. Learning programming using C++ as a language is like learning to walk on a grass-covered minefield - almost every feature hides something that can blow your leg off.

Anyway, the fact remains that you need much fewer syntax lessons to get started with Scheme compared to anything else.