On: Teaching C (2016)

[de_watcher]

First you need something like a simple Pascal. Otherwise you've got C that crashes all the time or you're stuck with some environment too opinionated about GC/references and a way of least resistance to put everything into its specific weird structures.

[pjmlp → de_watcher]

Good option, ISO Extended Pascal has all the features as ISO C, while providing an easier path into learning about pointers and low level coding.

Plus dialects like Object Pascal and Free Pascal provide a couple of niceties as well.