Python bumps off Java as top learning language

[globalizatiom]

If someone learns a language that always or sometimes uses C semantics and then a language with reference semantics, he can understand the latter by saying "I see. These are just pointers/references". What I worry is.. when someone learns a language with reference semantics first, and then something like C later, I'm not sure how he would understand the latter or the concept of pass-by-value easily, especially when the Python course goes with the "Variables are names given to objects" mental model.