As a young teacher and teacher trainer, Kirsten Haastrup took an early interest in exploring the relationship between theories of language learning, curriculum design and practical issues related to language teaching. Her PhD focussed on language testing. Together with Claus Færch, Esther Glahn and Robert Phillipson, Kirsten pioneered foreign language acquisition research in Denmark. Her engagement in the cross-institutional project Project in Foreign Language Pedagogy (PIF) led to the co-authored textbook Learner Language and Language Learning (1984). Her growing interest in psycholinguistics is reflected in her pathbreaking doctoral dissertation: Lexical Inferencing Procedures, or, Talking about Words: Receptive Procedures in Foreign Language Learning with Special Reference to English (1991) – a monograph that continues to attract international attention. Kirsten held a Chair at the Danish University of Educational Studies and was until her retirement Professor at Copenhagen Business School. Here she continued her research on language acquisition and teaching, with a special focus on vocabulary use and development. From 2001 to 2004, she collaborated with Birgit Henriksen and Dorte Albrechtsen on a large-scale research project supported by the Humanities Research Council, which resulted in the co-authored publication Vocabulary and Writing in a First and Second Language. Processes and Development (2008). As Professor Emerita, she was still actively involved in new research projects and co-authored an introductory chapter in the publication Lexical Inferencing in a First and Second Language: Cross-linguistic Dimensions with Mari Wesche and Sima Paribakht (2010). Kirsten Haastrup’s research has been immensely influential, her eminence in science and scholarship being recognised by the publication of a Festschrift on the occasion of her 60^th birthday.

Beyondher own research, shewas also deeply concerned with practical teaching issues and worked tirelessly to strengthen the quality of foreign language teaching, through her participation on institutional and ministerial committees and through her engagement in numerous in-service training courses. She was always insisting that curriculum planning and syllabus design should reflect the latest research insights and that research findings should be disseminated to, and discussed with, practitioners.Kirsten was a genuinely modest and self-effacing woman, notwithstanding a life of great accomplishment – but she also steadfastly fought the battles needed. She has meant so much to Danish language acquisition and educational research,and she has been a role model, mentor and friend to many colleagues and young researchers. Her qualities included the enormous goodwill emanating from her and reciprocated by legions of students, younger scholars, and others she assisted. She generously helped with advice and recommendations in a very quiet and low-key manner.Kirsten sat in truth an example to follow both as a researcher and a teacher. 

Work was a large part of Kirsten’s life, but only a part. She was an avid reader and lover of classical music. She loved singing and being with her large extended family, and she enjoyed hiking with friends all over the world. The day before she died, she went for a walk with close friends, enjoying the warmth of the early spring-time sun. We have lost a wonderful scholar, advocate, mentor and friend, and she is greatly missed.

Birgit Henriksen, PhD, Associate professor at the Department of English,
Germanic and Romance Studies, The Faculty of Humanities,
The University of Copenhagen

Back to The Clarion online