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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

DiMTEC hosts Disaster Risk Reduction Conference
2008-05-22

 

The Disaster Management Training and Education Centre for Africa (DiMTEC) at the University of the Free State (UFS) recently hosted a two-day Disaster Risk Reduction Conference on the Main Campus. A number of key speakers within the field of disaster management as well as national delegates attended the conference. A disaster response demonstration was also held as part of the conference. At the conference were, from the left, front: Mr Mzamani Khoza (Department of Water Affairs and Forestry), Ms Sibisiwe Ndlovu (Deputy Director: Zimbabwe Civil Protection) and Mr Dan Pillay (Manager: Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Human Capital Developement); from the left, back: Mr MacDonald Kadzatsa (United Nations Volunteer), Dr Dusan Sakulski (United Nations University representative) and Mr Andries Jordaan (Director: DiMTEC)
Photo: Mangaliso Radebe

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