Obituary | Bo Bing

Bo Bing, a leading scholar on English education

Bo Bing, professor of English at Beijing Foreign Studies University, died of respiratory failure at the age of 91 in Beijing on Saturday.

Bo, a leading scholar on English education, dedicated his life to teaching and researching English grammar, and his well-known books on the subject were highly popular among English learners in China.

A native of Yingxian county, Shanxi province, Bo started teaching English at an occupational school in Shanghai after graduating from the department of foreign languages at National Chekiang University (now Zhejiang University) in 1947. He joined the English department of the Beijing Foreign Languages Institute (now Beijing Foreign Studies University) in 1950.

In 1998, Bo began publishing his series of English grammar books. His bestsellers include: Bo Bing English Grammar, Bo Bing English Grammar Exercises Book and An Advanced English Grammar.

Bo's death has drawn wide attention from both students and teachers.

Wu Hao, a graduate from Beijing Foreign Studies University in 2008, who bought Bo's grammar books in high school, said she admired Bo's achievements and felt sorrow over his death.

Jin Limin, vice-president of the School of English and International Studies at the university, expressed admiration and gratitude for the path Bo paved for professors in the field.

"Bo made a remarkable contribution to the development of contemporary English education in China," she said.

Jin, who was also a student of Bo's, still remembers his rigorous scholarship and passion for teaching.

"Bo embodied the fine qualities of other scholars of his generation - diligence, earnestness and seriousness about teaching - and that is exactly what young people lack today," Jin said.

In his final years, Bo focused his attention on English consultation work, presiding over consulting columns in magazines such as English World, English Salon and College English.