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22 September 2021
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Story Michelle Nöthling
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Photo Supplied
Annemarie Le Roux.
“I love working with children.” This is one of the first things Annemarie le Roux mentions when asked to describe herself. This love for children propelled Annemarie into the field of education and she graduated in 2006 with a BEd in Foundation Phase at the UFS. Annemarie immediately immersed herself in the Deaf community, enriching the lives of children at the Thiboloha School for the Deaf in Qwaqwa and the De la Bat School for the Deaf in Worcester.
The academic world enticed Annemarie back to the University of the Free State (UFS) and she was appointed as a junior lecturer in the Department of South African Sign Language (SASL) and Deaf Studies in 2013. Going from strength to strength, Annemarie completed her master’s degree in SASL in 2019, and published an
article earlier this year that she co-wrote with Marga Stander. In this article, they found that SASL “has become an increasingly popular language that hearing university students want to learn as a second language” and subsequently explored different teaching methods used for this emerging group of interested students.
Although now firmly established in academia, Annemarie is still committed to the practical application of SASL. “I am closely involved in student and community engagement through the
SIGNALS Sign Language student association that helps empower the Deaf community and South African Sign Language.” She also interprets for the Deaf community whenever she gets an opportunity, as well as for Deaf students in class and meetings.
On the importance of Sign Language and the recognition of the Deaf community in South Africa, Annemarie believes it will open greater opportunities for development. “More people will be able to learn SASL, and it might even become a subject in school for hearing children.”
Badminton players bring national titles home
2009-10-27
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Kovsie badminton players Chris Dednam, Wiaan Viljoen and Roelof Dednam.
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Badminton players of the University of the Free State again won national titles at the recently completed South African senior badminton championships in Stellenbosch. Where Chris Dednam won a hat trick last year, he had to relinquish two of his titles, fortunately to his team mates, this year.
Annari Viljoen and Chris Dednam retained their mixed doubles title by beating the favourites and first-seeded pair from the Western Province, Dorian James and Michelle Edwards, in the finals with 18-21, 21-19 & 27-25. Annari and Michelle also won the women’s doubles title. They easily (21-13 & 21-12) beat the unseeded pair Lydia and Debbi Godfrey (WP) in the finals.
Wiaan Viljoen teamed up with Dorian James (WP) as the second-seeded pair in the men’s doubles to surprise Chris and Roelof Dednam (first seeded) in the finals with 21-18 & 21-16. Wiaan (first seeded), as well as Chris Dednam (fifth seeded), could not reach the finals in the men’s singles, which left it to their old Kovsie team mate Roelof Dednam to bring the title back to the Free State. Roelof (second seeded) beat the national junior champion and fourth-seeded Jacob Maliekal (Border) with 19-21, 21-13 & 26-24 in the finals. |