Importing neoliberalism concepts into non-Western contexts is unavoidable in the context of globalisation. To properly understand the multimodality that shapes neoliberalism in local and global ELT textbooks, more research is required. The present study reviews 49 journal articles and books on the multimodality of neoliberalism in local and global ELT textbooks from the Scopus and Web of Science databases. Using the most current version of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses, a qualitative thematic analysis was employed to code the data into five major themes related to neoliberalism: (1) entrepreneurial subjectivity, (2) English as economic capital, (3) neoliberal education policy in the Global South, (4) ideological representation through language, and (5) moral narratives associated with national identity. Meanwhile, the multimodality frameworks emphasise five analytical foci: (1) multimodal social semiotic analysis; (2) multimodal critical discourse analysis; (3) visual grammar and intercultural representation; (4) multimodality in teaching and learning; and (5) representation and cultural bias in images. These findings reveal the importance of multimodal methods for examining educational texts, emphasising how ideological influences operate through visuals and text and showing that situating globalisation within local cultures is critical. This review synthesises and maps existing multimodal research on neoliberalism in ELT textbooks across local and global contexts, highlights thematic gaps and underexplored regions and methods for future inquiry, and suggests that educators and policymakers should critically assess and redesign ELT textbook content and multimodal materials to mitigate neoliberal messaging and better align language education with local cultural values and equitable learning goals.

Keywords:  Multimodality; Neoliberalism; ELT local and global textbooks; Systematic Literature Review

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