Re: advice for the undergrad

[David Marjanovic <david.marjanovic@gmx.at>]

> [...] several websites recommend having at least a literary proficiency
> in a 2nd language before you apply for grad school. [...] What language
> would you recommend? My top two options open are Chinese and German. Is
> either better? With all the cool fossils popping up in China all the time, 
> I
> would think Chinese would be.

I agree -- except that _literary proficiency in Chinese_ will take you 
something like ten years of dedicated study. The language itself isn't that 
hard once you get the pronunciation right and once you manage to wrap your 
mind around a grammar that is simple but fairly different from anything you 
have ever imagined.

I recommend reading this essay by a sinologist on "Why Chinese Is So Damn 
Hard":
http://pinyin.info/readings/texts/moser.html

Again, I agree that Chinese is more practical than German (and maybe even 
French) these days, unless maybe you plan to specialize on sauropods from 
Tanzania or on branchiosaurid temnospondyls. Just be aware what to expect.