I've written scripts and programs for years, going all the way back to using BASIC and 6502 Assembly on my trusty Commodore 64. I can give you a couple of pointers...
1. While the syntax changes from language to language, the semantics are largely the same. In compilers, languages are usually translated to a common notation before they're sent off to generate assembly. (There are exceptions, but this is just an 2 minute explanation.) So, you're going to see the same functional ideas across many langauges: Loops, switches, references of some kind, primitives, etc. The funky characters and quotations may change, but For-Next pretty much works the same across the board.
2. You learn this stuff by doing. So start writing stuff, simple stuff, that you have a use for. And, find a language you're comfortable with. You're going to get stumped, a lot... that's normal. Trial and error is your best weapon to learn, looking stuff up will be quicker, but if you figure it out yourself then you will have really learned the process of why x worked and y did not; instead of just learning that y is "correct".
3. Everything is a metaphor, none of this really exists, it's all conceptual. A good free book on programming concepts in general is:
The Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs, from MIT press. It's an introductory Computer Science book that's used all over.
That last one may be the place to start, because understanding the basic premise of what's going on is an initial hump a lot of people have troubles going over. Like learning hand-eye coordination while learning a particular sport or craft.
