Can You Learn Programming Fundamentals by Studying Multiple Languages?

A lot of newcomers get really caught up in syntax. It’s way more beneficial to shift your focus towards semantics early on. Syntax is just one part of the entire programming language puzzle, and while it’s good to be familiar with it, understanding the meaning behind the code is where the real learning happens.

Just keep in mind that syntax is only one aspect. It can be pretty trivial at times. For example, in the Algol family, function calls look like this: `foo(bar)`, while in Lisp, it's `(foo bar)`. Both do the same thing but in different ways. Also, you might encounter different semantic meanings despite having the same syntax, depending on the language. So, it's essential to understand syntax, semantics, and even the idioms of a language to get the full picture.