The article is devoted to modern pedagogical technologies that are implemented in the primary classes of the ChinUP online course. Particular attention in the article is paid to the formation of universal skills when studying the Chinese language, through the use of gaming technologies in distance learning. The need for joint use of educational games and communication technologies has been identified and justified. The purpose of the study is to determine a model for teaching the Chinese language in a distance format. The study uses experimental research work, which was carried out on the basis of the ChinUP online course. The article shows that, being an attractive learning process, designing educational games requires the use of appropriate theories and methods of learning process design in order to optimize the learning effect. In particular, the use of educational games in the process of teaching Chinese requires necessary research to design a teaching model.