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I have been learning PHP for a few months now and I'd also like to learn JavaScript as I think they would make a good set of languages together for the type of projects that I like to do.
But is it wise to learn two languages at the same time? What are your experiences with this, do you get the syntax of each language mixed up with each other.
To add onto the question, how many languages do you know?
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Conclusion: no excuses not to learn more languages! You should learn two languages at once, especially if you have the time and the motivation to. Learning another language at the same time is not likely to hurt your abilities in either language.
If your brain is hardwired to learn languages, it's a brilliant idea to learn multiple languages at once. If, on the other hand, you've never learned another language, it might be advisable to stick to one language to begin with.
Doing multiple languages at the same time (simultaneously) saves time because, in a way, you're multitasking. Instead of getting fluent in one language in 1.5 years, you become fluent in 2 languages in 2 years.
An average person can speak two to four languages in a lifetime. However, human brains work differently, and an average person's brain can handle a maximum of four languages. It takes one year to learn the basics of a language for an average person.
It's not like martial arts, where learning two very different styles at the same time can confuse muscle memory and prevent progress.
By dividing your attention, you are dividing your progress. That's not ideal, but it's not the end of the world either, if you're in this for the long haul.
I would say that JavaScript is a great one to learn not only for the obvious functionality and ubiquity, but also because it has C-style syntax. In fact, if you do enough PHP and web work, you will soon need JavaScript.
JavaScript has developed tremendously in the last several years and is a fact of life now. Also, C-style 'curly brace' syntax is widely used and good to understand. With that you get some hooks upon which you might hang, say, C# or Java. And so many others.
As for how many languages I know...
I'm sure I've known at least a dozen things that could qualify as languages. Right now I feel pretty strong in C#, JavaScript, HTML, SQL/TSQL, XML, VB.NET, R, and probably a few others. Some of those are barely languages, but what do you think those L's stand for? :)
I will tell you this: learn as many languages as you can. Not necessarily all at once and not necessarily deeply, but indulge and cultivate that curiosity (it's a core developer attribute!), because more languages == more perspective.
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Go for it.
You'll occasionally get the syntax mixed up but it won't matter.
It'll broaden your linguistic horizons. Give you better ways to solve problems.
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