In the conditions of close cooperation and exchange between Russia and China the Chinese language is studied both in Russian schools and universities at teacher and translator training departments. The article emphasizes that the Chinese language is significantly different from European languages, a number of its specific features are presented. Chinese largely shed its image as an «exotic» and «non-learning» language only after the reform and opening-up policies of the People’s Republic of China in 1979. The experience of preparing future bachelors in the direction of Pedagogical Education profile «Foreign Language (English, Chinese)» at the Institute of Philology and Intercultural Communication of YSU named after I.A. Bunin shows that the training of a future teacher is fraught with great difficulties. The purpose of the article is to describe the difficulties faced by Russian students when mastering the Chinese language in conditions of special subject training, their analysis. The difficulties of mastering Chinese phonetics in the Russian audience are highlighted, the differences in the grammatical structure of the Russian and Chinese languages, the difficulties arising in the process of reading and listening, studying the cultural characteristics of the peoples of China are highlighted. Methodological ways of solving these difficulties are presented. As the most effective ways to eliminate difficulties, it is proposed to focus on teaching the phonetic side of speech. To master students’ lexicon requires the use of modern digital technologies, Internet platforms Tencent Classroom, Nail, WeChat, Learning Pass, QQ Video; computer programs for writing; application of various strategies (performance-based training with task completion and process-based individual approach; keeping a diary («micro-letter»), the «Mad Letter» method. The author gave advice on memorizing hieroglyphs. In conclusion, the role of independent work of students is emphasized.

Keywords: Chinese language, difficulties, pronunciation, writing, hieroglyph, intercultural communication