Navigating Languages and Life: Virginia’s Journey from Ocean to Classroom

Before she ever stepped into a classroom at Leysin American School, Virginia Frontan had already spent five years circumnavigating the globe in a forty three foot sailboat. That period at sea shaped the way she thinks about learning, culture, and human connection. It also showed her how essential language becomes when you rely on strangers, the weather, and your own resilience to make it across oceans.

In a remote Mayan village in Central America, a conversation with a young girl revealed something Virginia had long known but fully realized only there: for many children, education is not a given, it is a privilege. “I remember her with her little backpack. These kids need to walk every day, for half an hour, or an hour to go to school. She was so happy to go to school,” Virginia recalls. The intelligence, joy, and determination of this girl left a lasting impression. “She had a vision of her life when she was only six years old.”

Travel made Virginia more aware of how language shapes opportunity. “When you go to an isolated island they only speak their local language. Even in Spanish speaking countries, they don’t necessarily speak Spanish. When they find someone who can speak Spanish, they want to practice. Knowing Spanish opens opportunities.” She saw the same dynamic throughout her trip as people sought English or Spanish because they understood how these languages could shape their future.

Born in Argentina, she was raised in Spain. Now a new faculty member at LAS, Virginia has learned languages through both study and immersion. “I’m fluent in five languages. Spanish and Catalan are my two native languages. I learned English at secondary school, the university and while traveling. When traveling, I learned enough Italian and French to be able to speak. I went to Morocco for three months and did an immersion course in Arabic. When you learn a language that is not predominant, the reaction of the people when you can speak their language is really, really cool.”

This love of languages grew as she prepared for a life at sea. She and her partner spent years in Barcelona preparing for their sailing trip around the globe. They lived on their boat while they were saving money for their trip. Leaving behind a secure teaching position was difficult: “It was hard. I needed to quit my job and I had a really good job. And to leave all your security? Some people said that we were crazy. But you need to follow your dream.”

Their daily routine  on the boat centered on survival and connection: “Our routine was getting up in the morning, going fishing for a few hours, and snorkeling. We were exchanging things for food. It was like going back centuries.”

“You build a lot of resilience,” Virginia said. “Things are not easy when you are in the middle of the ocean, 20 days away from land. You can't have a panic attack. You have to stay calm and believe in yourself.” She feels that these experiences shaped her ability to navigate new environments, including her recent move to Switzerland and Leysin American School.

Virginia can draw a direct line between her sailing experiences and her approach to language learning. “Languages were key during my trip. Wherever you go, if you can try to speak the local language, the interaction you have with people is so different. When I was in French Polynesia, you needed French.  I didn't know any French. I learned French because I knew that was the only way I could talk to locals.” 

The ability to communicate in multiple languages is, for her, both practical and transformative: “When you speak another language, you become another person. Every language you speak, you communicate in a different way. The language is totally linked to culture.”

Virginia’s multilingualism extends beyond the languages she is fluent in. In addition to the languages she is fluent in, she has studied German, Latin, Galician, Maori, and has touched on Mandarin. Her teaching philosophy reflects this belief that language opens doors and shapes worldviews: “The more languages you can speak, the more you can interact with people and the closer relationships you can make. For me, language is magic.”

The lessons Virginia gleaned from her interactions with children and communities during her travels underscore the social dimension of language. “People are so keen to speak English and Spanish, because for them, they have known since they were 4 or 5 years old that Spanish or English is the future for them that will allow them to work in a hotel or at a resort.” 

At her previous school in New Zealand, she oversaw the language program and organized cultural trips, ensuring students could experience language in context: “Once they came to Spain, then they wanted to keep with up with their Spanish. The authenticity is what makes the students want to keep on with the language.”

Now at LAS, she continues to push herself forward. “Now, my goal is to improve my French, improve my Italian and German. All the multilingualism that Switzerland has to offer is very encouraging to me.”

Virginia’s journey is ultimately about curiosity, courage, and the bridge-building power of communication. For her, speaking another language isn’t just a skill. It is a way of seeing people more clearly, connecting more deeply, and understanding the world with a fuller heart.