When I studied theoretical compsci + telematics, we were "taught" Oberon and Algol. Those are nice beginner languages, because they make you realize real fast whether you really want to be a programmer or not, and in that respect I advocate their teaching

I agree with the notion mentioned in >>4 that python may be a good choice, because -in my opinion- it is conceptionally close enough to C to be of use while being somewhat easier to pick up at first.