One thing that I'd consider in choosing a light meter for a learner is the display. The analog displays, like the Digisix/Digiflash and the Sekonic L-208 give you an EV, then you set that on a dial and see the full range of combinations of f-stop and shutter speeds as choices the photographer can consider, all of them correct. The "digital" style meters like the L-308S show a single combination and then you toggle through them if you want another shutter speed or f-stop. For a learner, I'd say it's better to see the ranges of available choices and the concepts behind the reciprocal relations between the two, and avoids the false impression that there's a single correct choice.
The Gossen Digisix/Digiflash is the meter mentioned so far that I have some experience with. It's very light, accurate, and small enough that I take it along all the time, and have taken to using it in incident mode almost exclusively.
Lee