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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

UFS badminton player in Bulgaria for training camp

2006-09-11

ROELOF DEDNAM (21), a B Acc student in his third year at the University of the Free State, left for Sofia, Bulgaria, to join the International Badminton Federation's (IBF) East-European training centre for three weeks.

Dednam was invited with Robert Abrahams (WP), the South African junior champion, to attend the international training camp. Sixteen international players from different countries take part in such a camp. The camp normally lasts two months, but they will return after three weeks in time for the national championships.

Since 2004, he and his brother Chris have been the national doubles champions, as well as the SA International champions for three years in succession.

He is a regular member of the national team, which he first made at the age of 18. He is the holder of five under-15, five under-17, five under-19 and two senior national titles. He also won four gold and two silver medals at the All Africa Junior Championships in 2001 and 2003.

Dednam is generally regarded as the best doubles player in Africa, but is also rated third in South Africa as a singles player, while he again made his mark this year as a mixed doubles player.

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