How to use think-pair-share to improve classroom discussions

Classroom discussions can be challenging for non-native English speakers, especially those with self-perceived low language proficiency and high speaking anxiety. A common issue in my pre-intermediate English for academic purposes classrooms is the persistent silence in group discussions. While quiet students may be overwhelmed by social embarrassment and foreign language anxiety, active learners may be discouraged by the lack of peer engagement, leading to reduced enthusiasm and participation over time. This reluctance can hinder students’ self-confidence, learning motivation and communication skills.

Think-pair-share, a cooperative discussion strategy, is effective in improving weaker learners’ speaking abilities and confidence. It consists of three phases: 

• Think: students think about a given question or prompt individually;
• Pair: students then discuss their ideas in pairs;
• Share: the teacher calls for pairs to share their thoughts with the whole class.

However, my initial implementation of think-pair-share did not yield expected results. Students’ contributions remained minimal during discussions. One possible reason is that think-pair-share does not explicitly teach the discussion skills learners need to develop, such as idea development, critical thinking, turn-taking and active listening. Without this foundation, students may still lack the confidence to engage meaningfully.

To address this gap, I adapted think-pair-share by integrating additional scaffolding to support students in developing detailed responses and fostering a stronger sense of agency in discussions. 

Support learners’ thinking process

One way to boost speaking confidence is to support learners in their thinking process. Enhance cognitive readiness by giving learners time to think and guiding them to analyse the discussion prompt. 

For straightforward prompts, even a 30-second period of silent thinking allows students to process the question and formulate ideas without losing focus. This amount of time can be adjusted or gradually shortened to transition towards spontaneous impromptu speaking.

Break prompts into digestible guiding questions to help learners analyse and relate to more complex or abstract topics. For instance, when tackling the broad prompt “How has technology impacted people’s lives?”, students may benefit from first considering concrete questions such as:

• “What major technologies do you have experience with?”
• “How has technology affected your daily routine?” 

These questions can be created by the teacher or generated collaboratively by students during the brainstorming process.

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Dynamic pair interaction 

Pair interaction enables students to maximise individual speaking time and develop richer, more elaborate responses. In my classroom, I found that group discussions often led to short, underdeveloped exchanges, whereas pair interactions encouraged students to give more detailed responses. Students also respond more actively to their partners through verbal and non-verbal cues, which builds greater social support. 

Additionally, setting a minimum amount of speaking time for each participant can ensure balanced participation, define clearer performance goals and further reduce speaking anxiety. This approach prevents stronger students from carrying the discussion and incentivises quieter students to contribute.

Rotating pairs regularly can promote diversity by introducing students to a variety of perspectives and communication styles. For large classrooms or lecture halls, pairing can be done quickly in proximity without moving seats.

Make sharing purposeful and inclusive

The “share” stage in think-pair-share offers an opportunity for meaningful interaction but it often defaults to a teacher-centred format with only a few students participating. To make this stage more constructive and inclusive, I ask each student to meet with a new partner and exchange their ideas from the initial discussion. This gives every student an equal chance to speak again from a more prepared and confident position, helping them refine their responses progressively and gain further speaking practice in a low-pressure setting. Learners in my classroom found this process motivating and enjoyable because it allowed them to engage more deeply with the topic and interact with multiple perspectives.

For feedback, teachers can invite students to briefly summarise what they understood from their partner verbally or in writing. This reinforces attentive listening and encourages clarification-seeking behaviour. When students feel heard and understood, they become more confident and motivated to participate.

These interventions can also be applied beyond language learning to encourage cooperative learning and critical thinking. For example, by creating a communicative and collaborative learning environment, think-pair-share can improve students’ test scores, self-efficacy, participation, understanding and enjoyment levels in mathematics courses. Compared with conventional teacher-centred teaching, think-pair-share can also improve conceptual learning in physics.

Pairing students requires thoughtful planning that considers personality dynamics, classroom layout and time constraints. As students grow more confident and independent in discussions, these supports can be gradually reduced to promote further communicative development. 

Xingyi Ouyang is a language lecturer at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University in China.

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