ARM microcontroller, where to begin
Fortunately the LPC1114FN28 has a bootloader, enabling it to be programmed over a serial link. Here is a web page describing the "getting started" process: http://vilaca.eu/lpc1114/

I'd still reccomend getting a board (e.g. LPCXpresso) for two reasons: it's easier to get started with, and it has provision for JTAG/SWD debugging. As a beginner, it's very easy to get discouraged if the only thing you can determine about your program is that it crashes "somewhere".

(There seems to be snobbery about pre-made dev boards; I can understand the argument that one should build a fully integrated "product" as the final outcome of a hobby project, but if you just want to carry out experiments to learn things they save a lot of time and are reusable.)