> Is there a language, like Latin, that can help form the basis for understanding other languages and make learning easier?

As inetsee says, Scheme is this. It will provide you with a firm basis for actually understanding how programs execute. (Theoretically, learning C will also do this, but if you want to come from that direction I recommend learning some assembly language instead, since the semantics of C are surprisingly complex). Stretching the analogy rather dangerously, Scheme is as relevant to the past, present and future of other languages as Latin (though this is a conceptual rather than historical truth), as pedagogical/minimalist as Esperanto, and as expressive as English.

Also, if you find HtDP too tame or SICP too challenging (certainly possible unless you have a science/math background, though most parts requiring specific knowledge are optional), try Concrete Abstractions (http://gustavus.edu/+max/concrete-abstractions.html).