This article aims to highlight the range of language problems that hinder the development of general education programs by foreign students when studying as part of a mixed group. Since the structure of language difficulties varies for different categories of foreign citizens (foreigners with an initial level of proficiency in Russian, foreign speakers, bilinguals), it is important to have a differentiated approach to regulating the educational process and specially organized training taking into account the ethnic and linguistic needs of all members of the group. A differentiated approach to learning, building an individual way of each group member development allows mobilizing cognitive interests and motivating participants in the educational process.