[tibbon]

I'd have to wonder if this is essentially that you learn to think then more about function than syntax for getting things done. Whereas if you just learn one language, you've learned perhaps how to do something- not what it really means to do that, or even have that functionality. In learning to think about a problem multiple ways- you really strengthen your knowledge of why over just how.

[calinet6]

I think this hits the nail on the head. You learn more about the concepts of programming itself, rather than just about a single set of syntax and procedure.

At my school, they downplayed specific languages entirely and I think it was very beneficial. We were expected to learn the basics of a language for a class in the first week, whether it be Java or Python or whatever else. Obviously details would always come up later on, but the attitude was always "don't worry about the language, you can learn it as you go, worry about the concepts" and in that mindset, I definitely think the learning was more effective.