The Department of South African Sign Language and Deaf Studies, incorporating the Unit for Language Facilitation and Empowerment [hyperlink to ULFE page], aims to develop capacity in SASL, expand scientific knowledge of the language and culture, and support the Deaf community through academic and scholarly activities.
South African Sign Language (SASL) is a minority language that recently joined South Africa’s roster of twelve official languages. A rich and fascinating language, it is an important component of Deaf culture. Learning SASL will enable you to communicate with deaf people in various contexts, train as a language practitioner, and enrich your understanding of the human experience. Passion is a must to enrol for our courses!
Focus areas offered by the Department:
- SASL Acquisition: Vocabulary (signs) related to specific topics, basic grammar, and cultural elements of communication are taught in these modules.
- SASL Practical: Students are provided with opportunities to practise their SASL skills through interactions with deaf people and signing with peers.
- Linguistics: These modules provide the basis for understanding the grammatical aspects of signed languages.
- History and Deaf Culture: The study of Deaf culture, the development of signed languages, the activities of organisations for the Deaf, and various aspects of the Deaf experience.
Address:
Stef Coetzee Building, Room 215
T: +27 51 401 2251
E: Nortjeb@ufs.ac.za