01355383 Varieties of English and Cultures of English Native Speakers 04 | Page 30

Britain’s colonialism began in
the 16 th century, but reached its
height in the 18 th -20 th century.
It is believed that at the
end of the 16 th century,
there were only 5-7
million people who spoke
English as their mother
tongue. But 350 years
later, that number was
increased by 50 times,
with the majority of them
living outside of Britain.