EIREducational Innovation Research3029-18443029-1852WHIOCE PUBLISHING PTE. LTD.10.18063/EIR.v3i6.688ArticleTracing Multimodal Shifts in Chinese English Textbooks: From Text-Heavy to Image-Driven Designhttps://artdesignp.com/journal/EIR/3/6/10.18063/EIR.v3i6.688WangChenxi,YangZhen,RuiYanping,LiangZeying2025362025-07-26This study examines how multimodal resources in Chinese primary school English textbooks (1983–present) have evolved alongside curriculum reforms and sociopolitical change. Based on a purpose-built corpus and a mixed-methods approach, the findings show a shift from text-heavy to image-rich layouts, with image–text relations moving toward projection and interdependence. Visuals changed from close-up “demand” gazes to medium and long-shot “offer” gazes. Ideologically, textbooks progressed from patriotism (1983) to globalization and multiculturalism (2001), and more recently to cultural confidence and national identity (2023). Early semi-digital icons (e.g., cassette, headphones) marked initial digitalization, while today’s e-textbooks represent a full digital turn. Overall, textbooks act not only as teaching tools but also as cultural artifacts, reflecting globalization–localization dynamics and offering insights for design and multimodal literacy.Multimodal discourse analysis,Curriculum reform,Educational policy,Ideological representation,Globalization,Cultural identity,Textbook research

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