The paper presents a theoretical framework for developing a professional learning community (PLC) of university foreign language teachers based on the practice of building two PLCs with one being school-based and the other being inter-universities. The framework includes four elements: members, goals, mediators and mechanism，which form a triangle with“members”at the center, “goals” at the top and the “mediators”at the left end and “mechanism” at the right end of the bottom. The members are the most essential part of PLC. The goals form a starting point of the development of the PLC and also the destination of the building of the PLC. The mediators are the means by which the goals can be achieved. The mechanism is the driving force with which the mediators are made possible to accomplish the goals. After all, the goals, the mediators and the mechanism can function well only through the efforts of the members. Therefore，the members and each of the other three elements are connected through a double arrow. This theoretical model is proved to be fairly generalizable and applicable to the development of different PLCs in the Chinese context.