If you study a foreign language, more than once you must have been advised to care about proficiency raher than honesty. That means it doesn’t matter if you don’t tell the truth when you are asked to speak or write about something, as long as you use grammar and vocabulary properly. As a language teacher, I think this piece of advice is valid for exams, but not for learning.
Undoubtedly, it is recommendable to avoid risks when doing tests. In that situation you should use grammar and vocabulary you feel comfortable with, even if it involves telling lies. For instance, if you have to write about your neighbourhood, you will probably choose adjectives whose meaning and spelling you know well, regardless of whether they faithfully describe the place where you live.
Nonetheless, when it comes to studying, you’d better be more honest, and not precisely for ethical reasons. Firstly, you’ll fix new knowledge more effectively if you find it meaningful. In other words, you need to put what you’ve learned in a context that is relevant for you. For example, if you are taught some new adjectives, you will remember them better by using them to describe people and places you actually know than by making up sentences about people who don't exist and places you've never been to.
Secondly, the main purpose studying a foreign language is to express yourself and communicate with others. In order to do so, you need words to talk about your life, feelings and thoughts. Consequently, when you practise speaking or writing, you should mention real facts and give your true opinions, even when it implies using challenging vocabulary. This might be difficult, but at the same time satisfying: if you manage to convey what you really think and feel, you’ll be more enthusiastic about your learning process and less likely to give up.
In conclusion, you should adopt different attitudes towards taking exams and studying. In the first case, it is better to prioritize correctness over sincerity in order to obtain good marks. In the second one, you need to find a connection between what you learn and the world around you.
