Position
Associate Professor
Department
South African Sign Language and Deaf Studies
Office
Stef Coetzee Building
Current Position:
Associate Professor
SASL & Deaf Studies
Faculty of Humanities
University of the Free State
Research expertise:
My research expertise and areas of specialisation address issues related to language and literacy development for first- and second language learners. My research is informed by a very strong cognitive- and applied linguistic perspective, and the majority of my publications address issues related to language and literacy challenges and empowerment (or specialised support) for learners with typical and atypical patterns of development (this include publications on the literacy and learning difficulties of Deaf learners, learners with auditory processing disorders, Dyslexia and Second-language learners). Based on the key responsibilities listed above, the following are my most important professional research achievements:
| NRF-RATED | I received a C2 rating in 2018; prior to that, from 2012 to 2017, I had |
| RESEARCHER | a C3 rating. |
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| PUBLICATIONS | Five articles in internationally accredited journals (ISI accredited); 38 |
| 2008–2020 | articles in DoE-accredited and/or peer-reviewed journals; and three |
| | Chapters in books. |
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| PAPERS DELIVERED | Since 2005 I have presented 27 papers at international conferences |
| AT INTERNATIONAL | and 12 papers at national conferences. |
| AND NATIONAL | | | | | |
| CONFERENCES | | | | | |
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| SUPERVISION OF | Between 2006 and 2021, 18 postgraduate (PhD and master’s) |
| POST-GRADUATE | students successfully graduated under my supervision and/or co- |
| STUDENTS | supervision. In 2019, I was involved in the supervision of six honours |
| | student in our department (i.e. with regard to the completion of |
| | their research proposals, desktop reviews and ethical clearance |
| | applications). In addition to the above, I am currently supervising |
| | one PhD and four master’s students. |
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| PROJECT | I have extensive experience in project management and |
| MANAGEMENT | community-based research. Between 2010 and 2015 I managed two |
| | UFS/DoE community research projects; and in 2014, I successfully |
| | applied for the competitive NRF research grant for rated |
| | researchers (CPRR, grant number 87728). |
| | In 2018, I also successfully applied for ITP funding from the |
| | University of the Free State. The ITP project, is entitled: Reading |
| | support to foundation phase learners from marginalised |
| | communities: Exploring the benefits of a UFS community outreach |
| | Project. |
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| SHORT LEARNING | As mentioned, I have been involved in the |
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| PROGRAMMES AND | development of short learning programs and courses, which are |
| COURSES | also aligned to my current research focusing on language and |
| | literacy empowerment. |
Achievements:
In order to highlight the most significant student contributions that enhance my niche area, I list a few academic achievements of some of my post-graduate students:
- In 2010, one of my master’s students (Ansa Tolmie) received a number of outstanding awards (including the Dean’s Medal and KOVSIE/ALUMNI Award) for her noteworthy contributions to research and an outstanding dissertation on dyslexic learners’ literacy challenges.
- In 2012 another master’s student (Mirriam Tumo) received an award for the best master’s student in our discipline, Psychology of Education.
- In 2013 we successfully applied for an Erasmus Mundus Scholarship for one of my master’s students, Nemize Jeftha;
- In 2014, I successfully applied for additional funding to contract in a post-doctoral fellow working on the current NRF project, mentioned before.
- I supervised, Nicole Purcell, who received the Dean`s medal in 2021, for the best MEd Dissertation - Faculty of Education.
- Many of my post-graduate students have graduated cum laude since my appointment at the UFS.