Science aims to understand the physical and living world around us. To do this, it requires us to develop abstract ways of thinking. The aim of this chapter is to describe and explain how the abstract concepts of heat energy and heat transfer emerge and evolve during two secondary (high) school science lessons, by providing an account of how they are linguistically represented in discourse using a cognitive discursive framework. The analysis of a teacher-led demonstration, a group writing task, and an interview, during which pupils externalize their mental images in speech, writing, and in visual representations, shows how the discourse as well as the social and concrete here-and-now physical contexts, affect the development of these abstract concepts.

In this article, we advocate for the enriching role of arts-based practices in the delivery of a translingual pedagogic approach. With a growing interest in translanguaging, ELT practitioners are searching for models and creative ideas that foster a translingual environment for their learners. We have responded to this call and developed a collaborative project entitled ‘Creative Language Practices: Exploring Translanguaging in Pedagogical Contexts and Beyond’. The project brought together language researchers from the University of Glasgow, creative artists, and school teachers. By sharing our approach and practices, we want to promote the adoption of translingual values and guiding principles through the use of arts as a methodology for language learning and meaning-making. Instead of feeling intimidated by the complexity and difficulty of the concept of translanguaging, teachers and practitioners could adopt an arts-based pedagogy as the catalyst for creative practice that will help learners to explore their creative resources.

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