The history of the English language in Asian countries is closely related to the

dispersals of English which consist of two kinds of dispersals. The first one
involved the migration of many people from the southern and eastern parts of
England to America and Australia. The second one involved the colonization of
Asia and Africa, and led to the development of a number of second language
varieties. English dispersals in South-East Asia and the south pacific started in
the late 18th century. The main countries involved were Singapore, Malaysia,
Hong Kong, and the Philippines. Stamford Raffles, an administrator of the
British East India Company, played an important role in the founding of
Singapore as part of the British colonial empire in 1819.
 
Around the same time, other major British centers were founded in Malaysia,
and in 1842, Hong Kong was added to Britain. After the Spanish-American War
at the end of the 19th century, the United States was granted sovereignty over
the Philippines. Through the above historical development, English came to
play a very strong influence over many Asian countries.
 
Singapore played a major role in the development and expansion of English in
Asia as the leader of this cultural and social expansion.
 
Two kinds of English developed in Singapore because of the cultural British
expansion One formal and one informal. the formal one can be classified as
‘Singapore Standard English’ (SSE) and the informal one ‘Singapore Colloquial
English’ (SCE). In fact, when a child is born in Singapore, she acquires SCE
first. In a sense, it is the native language of Singaporeans. About 3.2 million
people speak SCE or Singlish at home, on the streets, and at shopping malls.
(Bok-Myung Chang, 2011)
 
The Philippines is well-known for its large English-speaking population. In fact, it
is the third-largest English-speaking country (Bolton & Bautista, 2004;
Gonzalez, 2004). English is indeed the major language in public and personal
life of Filipino people. It is a co-official language used in various sectors
including government, law, and education (Bolton & Bautista, 2004).
 
In addition, it plays a major role in print media, films, television, and creative
writing.
 
From 1565 to 1898, the Philippines were dominated by Spain who introduced
Catholicism into this nation. From 1898 to 1941, the USA colonized the
Philippines. From 1941 to 1944, the Philippines were briefly controlled by
Japan. Even after independence, the language and the government of the U.S.
had greatly influenced the politics and lives of Filipinos. (Bolton & Bautista,
2004)
 
English in China began from 1759 to 1860 when English received a very low
official status and was only used for trade. According to Bolton (2002), English
was taught in missionary schools in South China and the first schools that
taught English were established in Macau in the late 1830s shortly before the
First Opium War. From 1861 to 1911: English began to gain official status since
it was considered to be a medium to access Western science and technology. It
was also used as a helpful tool for the Chinese government to develop
international diplomacy (Adamson, 2002). According to Bolton and Tong (2002),
after the Second Opium War which lasted from 1856 until 1860, English began
to be taught widely in missionary schools and colleges.
 
From 1911 to 1923 English gained somewhat high official status and was used
as a vehicle for exploring Western philosophy and other ideas. From 1924 to
1949, English served as a medium for diplomatic, military and intellectual
interactions with the West. From 1949 to 1960, English received low official
status due to the political events which were unfavorable for English. From 1966
to1976, the Cultural Revolution swept the entire nation, labeling English
speakers as traitors. However, Lam (2002) in 1971, China began to restore
friendly ties with the United States as it formally recognized China as a member
of the United Nations. From 1976 to 1982, English education began to regain its
popularity and English was once again regarded as a helpful tool for national
modernization and development. In 1982, English became the main foreign
language in Chinese secondary schools. In 1985, the first international
conference on English Language Teaching was held in Guangzhou (Lam,
2002). At present, there are approximately 400 million people learning English,
about one-third of the whole population in contemporary China (China Daily,
2010). According to the SGO (2006), English language learners account for
93.8% of the people with foreign language learning experience. Moreover, there
is a vigorous tendency for English media development, especially English news
media. There are English television channels like CCTV 9, or the international
channel Shanghai, and daily or weekly English newspapers, such as China
Daily, Shanghai Daily, and 21st Century English. These television channels and
newspapers are aimed at servicing foreign immigrants living in China.
 
In India, even a major role is played in the vast subcontinent. In terms of the
number of English speakers, the Indian subcontinent has a very special
position, probably outranking the combined totals of speakers in the USA and
UK. This is largely due to the special position that the language has come to
hold in India itself, where perhaps a third of the people of India are now capable
of holding a conversation in English, we must not forget that there are also
considerable numbers of English speakers elsewhere in the region, which
comprises five other countries (Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal,
Bhutan) this variety of English has been referred as South Asian English and it
is less than 200 years old, but it is  already among the most Distinctive variety in
the English-speaking world.
 
The first regular British contact with the subcontinent came in 1600 with the
formation of the British East India Company – a group of London merchants
who were granted a trading monopoly in the area by Queen Elizabeth I. This
company was established in Madras, Mombay, and Calcutta but in 1858, after
the Indian Mutiny, the Company was abolished and its powers handed over to
the Crown. During the period of British sovereignty (the Raj), from 1765 until
independence in 1947, English gradually became the medium of administration
and education throughout the subcontinent. The language question attracted
special attention during the early nineteenth century when colonial
administrators debated the kind of educational policy which should be
introduced.
 
In India, the bitter conflict between the supporters of English, Hindi, and regional
languages led in the 1960s to a ‘three language formula’, in which English was
introduced as the chief alternative to the local state language (typically Hindi in
the north and a regional language in the south). It now has the status of an
‘associate’ official language, with Hindi, the official language. It is also
recognized as the official language of four states (Manipur, Meghalaya,
Nagaland, Tripura) and eight Union territories.
 
“Throughout the region it is universally used as the medium of international
communication. Increasingly it is being perceived by young South Asians as the
language of cultural modernity”. (Crystal, D 2013 p.49)
 
“Africans and Asians have significantly shaped the process of English spread.
The formation of language policy in British colonies shows the centrality of the
struggle against imperialism to the creation of World English” (Brutt-Griffler, J,
2002. P.107)