Well, programming languages are always evolving so it is difficult to say which direction you should go. If you are proficient with a language, you'll be able to program almost anything you need. It is true that some newer languages can speed up some tasks but really it is user preference. I have a friend that still programs all of his work in Fortran and Cobalt.
Additionally, you'll want to consider what type of programming you'll be doing. Some languages are better suited to certain applications. For example PHP was specifically created for internet programing.
Finally, all of the languages have overlaps and similarities. The
for statement for perl, php, C, Java is still pretty much the same as it was in BASIC 20 years ago. So learning any programming language is beneficial in that it will make learning additional languages easier. So pick your language now, it will only help later.
Good luck and happy programming,
vujsa
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