About the LDESC
The vision of the LDESC is to advance research on language-related challenges in the education domain, with a focus on South African Sign Language.
History of the LDESC
As part of a collaborative project with the University of Namur (Belgium), the LDESC was first established as the Language Diversity in Educational Settings Workshop in 2017). After the partnership concluded, the Department of South African Sign Language and Deaf Studies (incorporating the Unit for Language Facilitation and Empowerment) continued the initiative.
The colloquium is hosted every second year. The inaugural event with the theme, was hosted in 2017 in Bloemfontein. The 2018 event took place in Namur, Belgium. In 2020 an online convention was held, entitled ‘Making a change through sign language’. 2022 was skipped. In 2024, the colloquium was nestled into the SAALT conference, themed ‘SASL as official language – language teaching and learning challenges and opportunities’.
Language of the symposium and workshop
English and South African Sign Language, with professional interpreting available.
Organising Committee
- Colloquium Coordinator
- Dr Chrismi Loth (University of the Free State, RSA) kongresETFB@ufs.ac.za
- Prof Theodorus du Plessis (University of the Free State, RSA)
- Susan Lombaard (University of the Free State, RSA)
- Annemarie le Roux (University of the Free State, RSA)
Scientific Committee
- Prof Annalene van Staden (University of the Free State, RSA)
- Prof Myriam Vermeerbergen (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium)
- Prof Theodorus du Plessis (University of the Free State, RSA)
- Dr Marga Stander (Sol Plaatje University, RSA)
- Dr Mirriam Ganiso (University of Fort Hare, RSA)
Previous events- 2024 (10 July, Cape Town, RSA): SASL as official language – language teaching and learning
challenges and opportunities - 2020 (virtual): Making a change through sign language
- 2018 (November, Namur, Belgium): Workshop on managing Language diversity management in educational settings in Namur and Bloemfontein (RSA)
- 2017 (15 May, Bloemfontein, RSA): Workshop on managing language diversity management in educational settings in Namur (BE) and Bloemfontein