The School of Foreign Languages of Xiamen University was founded in 1999, and its predecessor, Foreign Languages Department, was founded in 1923. It is one of the earliest departments of Xiamen University. Famous scholars such as Zhou Jianming, Lin Yutang, Chen Hong and other well-known professors who are proficient in Chinese and Western studies have successively come to teach in the department. Famous poet Yu Guangzhong, Thai overseas Chinese leaders Cai Yueshi and Chen Hanzhou, as well as financial industry elites Zhu Dezhen and Li Xiaojia all studied here.

At present, the college has English Language and Literature Department, Foreign Language Teaching Department, Japanese Language and Literature Department, European Language and Literature Department and French Language and Literature Department. There are six undergraduate majors in English, Japanese, French, Russian, German and Spanish. 1 First-class doctoral programs and post-doctoral research stations (foreign languages and literature), and doctoral enrollment majors include English language and literature, foreign linguistics and applied linguistics, and Japanese language and literature; There are 1 first-class master's degree programs (including English language and literature, foreign linguistics and applied linguistics, Japanese language and literature, French language and literature, Russian language and literature, German language and literature, etc. ) and English and Japanese translation masters. The college has four foreign language examination and training centers: Xiamen University Institute of Foreign Languages and Literature, Japan Language Education Research Center, Bilingual Dictionary and Bilingual Language and Culture Research Center, Interpretation Research Institute and Middle East Research Center.