This paper is intended as an introduction to a number of problems connected with the description of algorithms and algorithmic languages, particularly the syntaxes and semantics of algorithmic languages. The terms "letter, word, alphabet" are defined and described. The concept of the algorithm is defined and the relation between the algorithm and the alphabet is explained. Normal algorithms and the process of normalization are described. The relation between the algorithm as a computational process, and the algorithmic language, which is a means of coding the meaning of the process, is explained. Problems involved in the description of the algorithmic language and its translation into other languages (machine language, natural language, meta-language) are then described and the several methods for defining syntactic concepts proposed in the literature are reviewed. Original article has: 1 figure and 10 formulas. (Author)