Цуркан М. Сферы бытования украинского языка как иностранного. В статье разработан исторический экскурс к формированию фундаментальных основ предмета в рамках украинистики как дисциплины, которая представляет Украину в мире; проанализированы этапы становления дисциплины «Украинский язык как иностранный», рассмотрено методическую и учебную литературы по преподаванию предмета, определены основные направления создания дисциплины сегодня. Ключевые слова: Украинский язык как иностранный, украинистика, центры украинистики в мире, методика преподавания, учебник, учебная литература, студенты-иностранцы. Tsurkan M. The Sphere of Existence of Ukrainian Language as a Foreign Language. There are two ways of functioning of the Ukrainian language. This subject is exists as part of the Literary and Cultural Studies about Ukraine and called Ukrainian studies. Another area of functioning of the Ukrainian language as a foreign concerns of teaching foreign students in Ukrainian universities. The article gives an analysis of the development of methodology of teaching Ukrainian as a foreign language. It outlined the development of this science in Ukraine and abroad. It systematized scientific researches and methodical materials on methodology of teaching Ukrainian as a foreign language. The paper characterized directions of research in this science. The cultural and educational representation of a country among other countries and among foreigners, which are temporarily staying on the territory of the country representative, has a couple of constituents and unfolds its politics on many levels. One way of cultural and educational representation of a country on the foreign world market is the formation of a conditionalmap that showswhere the learning of the country’s language can be done in other countries.That is why we created a virtual journey through centres of Ukrainian studies, which are unofficial ambassadors of Ukraine, through whichthe world community can join in learning and studying our country’s language and culture.In addition to foreign policy strategy there is also an internal one, which is presented in the teaching of the Ukrainian language to foreigners, who have decidedto get a higher education in Ukraine. The linguodidactics of Ukrainian as a foreign language is only being formed as a scientific branch and that is why there are many gaps in this field. At the present an active scientific search is underway to find the principles of methodology of teaching the subject and there is also an attempt to find the optimal ways of learning a language in all of its functional levels. Key words: ukrainian as a foreign language, the ukrainian studies, the ukrainian studies centers in the world, teaching methods, textbooks, foreign students.