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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.”
UFS Hockey makes history
2014-03-04
For the first time in the history of the University of the Free State (UFS), two members of the Kovsie Hockey Club have been selected for the National hockey teams. Tanya Britz and Jaco Fourie have been included in the Protea women’s and men’s teams respectively. According to Frans van der Watt, Sports Manager: Hockey in the division KovsieSport, this is a first for the university, as well as the Free State.
Both of these outstanding achievers will represent our university as well as our country in Argentina at the end of the month. During this five-test series, the Protea teams will be showing their grit against Argentina – currently second on the world ranking list. The matches will be played in Mar del Plata from 22 to 28 February 2014.
Britz already tasted the sweetness of success when the Protea women’s team beat the Scots in a recent test series in Pretoria.