British influence began through the voyages of English sailors at the end of the eighteenth century, notably the journeys of Captain Cook in the 1770s. The London Missionary Society sent its workers to the islands of the South Pacific fifty years later.
Who was Captain Cook?
Where did he travel to?
In South-east Asia, the development of a British colonial empire grew from the work of Stamford Raffles, an administrator in the British East India Company. Centers were established in several locations, notably Penang (1786), Singapore (1819) and Malacca (1824).
Who was Stamford Raffles?
What was the name of the company he worked for?
How is this relevant to the issue of the importance of English in South Asia?
Within a few months, the population of Singapore had grown to over 5,000, and by the time the Federated Malay States were brought together as a Crown Colony (1867), English had come to be established throughout the region as the medium of law and administration, and was being increasingly used in other contexts. A famous example is the English-language daily newspaper, The Straits Times, which began publication in 1845.
Why did the population of Singapore increase?
What does it mean that English was the “medium of law and administration”?
Why was English used instead of the native languages?
English inevitably and rapidly became the language of power in the British territories of South-east Asia. Towards the end of the nineteenth century, several territories in the region became British protectorates, the administration of some being later taken over by Australia and New Zealand. Territories with English as part of their heritage, which have become independent in recent decades, include American Samoa, Palau (Belau), Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, North Mariana Islands, Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.
Why do they refer to English as becoming the language of power in those areas?
What does a “protectorate” mean?
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