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SASL Star: Annemarie Le Roux

22 September 2021 | Story Michelle Nöthling | Photo Supplied

“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.”

News Archive

From disregard to acknowledgment - the role of the Griekwas in South Africa

2006-03-09

The University of the Free Sate (UFS) is working in conjunction with the Griekwa nation on an initiative titled: From disregard to acknowledgment - the role of the Griekwas in South Africa.

The Griekwa National Conference (GNC) requested that research be conducted in conjunction with the UFS on various aspects linked to the Griekwa language, -culture, -history, - leadership, their role in the South African community (past and present) and the conservation of their historical cultural heritages. Four possible research focus areas have been established, namely a documentary film, the Adam Kok house, ethno historical research and reading material for Griekwa leaders.

A historical meeting took place yesterday at the UFS where the Supreme Chief of the Griekwa nation was present. From left are Prof Frederick Fourie (Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS), Chief Cecil le Fleur, (chairperson of the chiefs council of the GNC), Supreme Chief Alan Andrew le Fleur I, Rev Kiepie Jaftha (Chief Director: Community Service) and Prof Piet Erasmus (Department of Anthropology at the UFS).
Photo: Leonie Bolleurs

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