Facing the profound and complex changes in the era, higher education has been entrusted with the mission of cultivating talents capable of adapting to rapid development and achieving a high level of self-reliance and self-improvement. To meet this challenge, this article combines practical cases to explore the core competencies that innovative talents should possess in the new era, as well as the teaching design of structured discussions that help improve core competencies. By conducting a detailed analysis of the practice of structured discussions in “Basic English Reading II”, this article aims to provide beneficial theoretical guidance and practical experience for the cultivation of innovative talents.