Language for Life

Professor Don Kleinsmith thinks good
English still matters

By Carolyn Jones '94

When is the last time you thought about the use of fewer and less on the signs at the checkout? If you ever took a class with Professor Donald Kleinsmith, Adrian’s “Grammar Guru,” you probably know which one is right. He has been instilling valuable lessons of writing, correct word usage, grammar and spelling for most of his 34 years at Adrian. Don currently teaches Freshman English and Business and Professional Communications. And, in that capacity, he takes preparing students to use the language correctly very seriously.

He encourages students to notice errors in signage, restaurant menus and advertisements. Extra credit is given for such findings. Don’s students contact the businesses, describing the written error. Companies often thank the students, acknowledging that they were correct, vowing to correct their errors. Brad Vance ’98 has a letter from Wal-Mart national headquarters thanking him for the correction of few and less.

Don places strong emphasis on writing and requires a variety of letter assignments. He discourages the overuse of words in writing, which makes reading cumbersome. He stresses being “concise” (defined as clear and effective) versus “brief” (meaning simply short). He teaches “head-to-hand” writing and says there is nothing better than visual proofreading. He encourages the use of dictionaries and thesauruses; computer spell checks do not catch all errors. Former student Chris Smith ’01 was flown to California for a job interview with a well-known automaker. He was placed in a bare room, given pen and paper, then asked to write a response to a customer. He was surprised at the request, but having been a student of Don’s, he was prepared to meet the interview challenge.

Old fashioned spelling bees are still held in Don’s classes each semester, with students competing on a list of at least 70 words. The winner is awarded a prize selection from the College’s bookstore.

Don consistently invites his students to contribute their ideas for effective communication. For example, Pat Kilbane ’02 suggested in class that speakers seeking questions after a presentation say, “I’ll take the first question now,” rather than the common, less effective, “Do you have any questions?”

The few thousand Adrian students who have been fortunate enough to have experienced a class with Professor Kleinsmith remember these lessons in their lives today. He offers his students a variety of ways to enhance their writing, and provides innumerable reference letters. He hears from Adrian alumni every week and he continues to provide guidance as former students change jobs and advance their careers.

Don loves “being in the classroom,” and looks forward to the resumption of classes each August. He is often selected by the senior class to speak on graduation day, which is a tribute to his strong interest in teaching and advising Adrian students. Don Kleinsmith’s positive impact on his students is boundless.