Reading code in one language in one codebase often doesn't even necessarily transfer to other codebases in the same language.

I find this particularly true in academic python codebases and C++ for some reason where single letter variables and cryptic contractions in identifiers is the norm. It's truly a shame that overly verbose java-isms spawned widespread disdain for descriptive variable names - I think one of the easiest low-hanging-fruit to most codebases is just using proper descriptive names for variables and functions, and other updating them accordingly when their meaning or purpose changes.

Absolutely, true, just as reading one natural language won't necessarily help you read another.