I knew Java first, then picked up HTML/CSS/JS on my own. I'm cozy enough with Swing and I'm getting there with JavaFX.
I would rather develop in Java with Swing or even JavaFX. I reach for PhoneGap because I can develop my application 'live'. Make code changes, switch windows, changes are live. I can pull up the UI panel and make adjustments to styles to see what looks good. I can test the entire application and debug it before I push it to my device. If something fails to load, I can see why without waiting for an emulator to spin up and without pushing to the device. Plus, if the application crashes in my browser, I can pull up the debug console and step through it. I'm sure all these things are possible with ADB, too. There are lots of little things which irritate me with native Android development. I'm still releasing apps and every so often I try to do a native one. Whenever I do, though, I always find myself stuck on something that seems infuriatingly simple or clear -- something that 'Just Shouldn't Happen," and I look over at PhoneGap and I know that, despite JS being kinda' shitty, and despite the lack of consistency in HTML5/CSS, it still beckons for silly reasons like, "Small annoyances are more soluble! You don't have to rebuild and reupload to fix a null-pointer error! You can use the REPL to play with objects in memory!" and so on.
Maybe I am reluctant to learn the nuance of Android UI on a subconscious level. Maybe I'm reinforcing my own beliefs when I sit down with an Android UI book or go through the UI tutorials online. I've just never felt the workflow was very intuitive, and the small (though frequent) irritations are enough to drive me back to something which is worse architecturally and more time consuming in the long run, but doesn't have the little things that make it unpleasant to work.
CAR ANALOGY! I have two routes to work: one of them is short, but goes directly through the city and has a crazy merge that I need to do to get there. Some days I take this route because "it would be totally great if I'd just get familiar with it," and I start out fine. Except for the insane merge which is backed up for a few blocks. I'm driving fine, and I feel like now that it's over I'm home free. Oh. This street has construction. Sudden stops. My head is starting to hurt. Nearly half way there. Okay, I don't see a way around this route. I have to backtrack because I made a wrong turn early on. More construction. Traffic lights that aren't working right (or are, but I'm mixing them up with the ones facing perpendicular traffic). Finally at work. I'm irritable and still have a whole day ahead of me.
The other route is really long. I get on the onramp and it's slow but I'm always moving. Quick scuttle and I'm free to drive. The roads are unfinished and there's an omnipresent farty smell, but I'm moving at a comfortable pace and I'm pretty relaxed. Oh, the bridge my route takes is out. Well, I'll travel down the way a bit. No problem, though it's going to take longer. Swoop around and I arrive at my destination. On the way there I also picked up a Strawman at a barn to use in my analogy.