1 Introduction

The professional competence standards for foreign language teachers in universities are crucial for the development of the education field, affecting the personal growth of teachers, the learning outcomes of students, and the level of foreign language education in the country. Currently, despite relevant policies and academic literature, there is a lack of systematic professional competence standards. In order to enhance the professional competence of teachers, Beijing Foreign Studies University has developed the "Professional Competence Standards for Foreign Language Teachers in Colleges and Universities" based on the "Double First Class" project, aiming to provide reference for teacher training and evaluation, promote the construction of teacher ethics and professional competence of foreign language teachers. The standards are based on national needs, theoretical research, and practical experience, covering multiple aspects of teacher professional competence development and educational teaching practice. During the development process, the main work plan and steps include revealing theoretical basis, detailing the development process, integrating theoretical achievements with practical needs, and introducing graded evaluation tools to enhance practicality and innovation. This article aims to comprehensively elaborate on the background, process, and characteristics of the development of the "Teacher Standards", and to stimulate attention and discussion on the professional competence of foreign language teachers in universities, jointly promoting the improvement of teachers' professional competence and the quality of higher foreign language education.

2 Development Background

Firstly, the research progress on professional competence standards for foreign language teachers at home and abroad was reviewed, and the limitations of existing research were pointed out, such as excessive focus on specific dimensions and neglect of a holistic perspective. Furthermore, the practices of foreign language teacher professional competence standards in countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg were analyzed, emphasizing that these standards are mainly designed for primary and secondary school teachers and have universality. At the same time, it was pointed out that there are differences in the understanding of these standards in terms of moral education and talent cultivation compared to China, indicating that we cannot simply imitate them, but should make localized adjustments based on China's national conditions. In addition, the chapter also discusses the theoretical basis for developing the "Teacher Standards", including relevant theories of national foreign language education policies and foreign language teacher education, emphasizing the importance of practical fields such as moral education, foreign language teaching, scientific research, lifelong learning, as well as the necessity of forming the foundation of correct values, core knowledge, key abilities, and essential character. These theoretical foundations aim to ensure the scientific, practical, and forward-looking nature of the Teacher Standards, while closely connecting with the actual work of foreign language teachers in universities, providing guidance and support for their professional growth.

3 Development process

The development process of the "Professional Standards for Foreign Language Teachers in Colleges and Universities" is described in detail, which is divided into four stages: investigation and research, overall development, partial promotion, and summary and improvement. During the investigation and research phase, interviews, classroom observations, and text data collection are conducted to gain a deeper understanding of the actual needs of frontline teachers and teaching managers, providing a practical foundation for the development of standards. During the overall development phase, a structural framework for the "Teacher Standards" was established, which clearly defined and classified the domains and core dimensions of literacy. Further refine the specific requirements and connotations of each field according to the partial progress stage, and develop detailed descriptions with differential characteristics for each secondary indicator. In the stage of summarizing and improving, the framework of the entire Teacher Standards was integrated, feedback was collected, and revisions were made, ultimately completing the development of the standards.

4 Development Features

Two characteristics of the development process of the "Professional Standards for Foreign Language Teachers in Colleges and Universities" were elaborated in detail. Firstly, the research and development work focuses on combining the theoretical achievements of teacher development with the practical needs of frontline teachers, to ensure that the standards have both theoretical depth and can guide teachers' professional development. During the development process, we collected teacher needs from frontline classrooms and analyzed existing educational theories to address the differences between theory and practice. Secondly, one of the distinctive features of the development is the use of graded evaluation tools. Through the graded description of three-level indicators, it reflects a comprehensive and in-depth understanding of the professional competence of foreign language teachers in universities. At the same time, it considers the stages and differences of teacher career development, providing personalized development paths for teachers at different levels.

5 Conclusion

The development background of the "Teacher Standards" is based on the shortcomings of existing research, relying on the "Double First Class" project of Beijing Foreign Studies University, which took more than two years to complete. The development process follows the principle of combining national needs, theoretical research, and practical experience, comprehensively considering teachers' professional competence and educational teaching practice. By using graded evaluation tools, the combination of theory and practice has been achieved, enhancing the practicality and innovation of standards. We hope to raise attention and discussion on the professional competence of foreign language teachers in universities, provide guidance for their professional development, promote the improvement of the quality of foreign language education, and look forward to further enriching and improving standards in future research and practice.