I don't think electric vs. glow is really the issue here, the issue is what kind of electric. From your statement, you're wanting to buy one of those cheap foamies, with an underpowered electric motor on the front, that wouldn't fly in any wind over five mph, and probably won't fly very good in any condition. Those "cheap" electric foamies are mostly that--cheap and electric. My brother started out with one, and, a year later, I'd dare say most of us would still have a hard time flying that POS. Now, if you're wanting to get a nice four channel (or three) trainer with a good sized electric motor to learn on, then that's another story. I still think balsa is the way to go. If you really want electric, get a balsa kit or arf, and convert it to electric. You'll be better off in the long run. Balsa can be fixed, re-built, and so on. Foam usually becomes unfixable over time--especially if it gets crushed.
JMO