Agreed. If I'm trying to learn a language, my first concern will be the style that I write in. I'll pay special attention to elegant ways to express my intent in the new language, with special attention paid to features that differ strongest from languages that I already use. Having the project work is important, of course; it's the proof of having learned something. But the initial project needs to be clean and idiomatic first, and correct second.

Personal projects in languages that I'm already familiar with are the places that I allow myself some sloppiness.