Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
Previous Archive
22 September 2021 | Story Michelle Nöthling | 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.”

News Archive

UFS experimental farm gets ultra modern tractor
2006-12-04

The Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences at the University of the Free State (UFS) recently acquired a McCormick MC 115 tractor equipped with the latest technology. This was made possible by a sponsorship of R100 000 by BUO Agri in Bultfontein, who serve as agents for McCormick. At the moment about 300ha soil is being used for the cultivation of mealies and wheat, which are used as basis for the feed of cows on the Paradys Experimental Farm. The cultivars will in future also be used by postgraduate students for experiments. The farm will also in the future conduct experiments with seeds for seed companies. Attending the delivery of the tractor were, from the left: Mr Danie Nortjé (National Service and Product Manager of McCormich SA), Prof Herman van Schalkwyk (Dean of the UFS Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences), Mr Ian Bothma (M Sc-student at the UFS) and Mr Jan Jacobs (Sales Agent of McCormich SA).

Photo: Supplied

 

 

 

We use cookies to make interactions with our websites and services easy and meaningful. To better understand how they are used, read more about the UFS cookie policy. By continuing to use this site you are giving us your consent to do this.

Accept