Incel Attitudes & Beliefs (Upper-Intermediate Lesson Plan)

ESL/EFL Level: B2/C1 (Advanced)
Lesson Topics: incels, misogyny, dating culture
Skill Focus: Reading, Speaking, Vocabulary
Approximate Class Time: 2.5 hours
Lesson Plan Download: incel-study-upper-intermediate-lesson-062025.docx (members only)| FREE SAMPLE: incel-study-upper-intermediate-lesson-062025.pdf

  • Foreword: Page two has an extended activity on stereotypes based on memes from the incel community. Be sure to pre-read and edit as required. Younger students will find the activity fun (I assume), but as teachers, we need to be mindful of the potential harm of stereotyping. Avoid use if you teach for a conservative institution.  -MB
  • The lesson begins with warm-up questions about dating and attraction between the sexes.
  • The reading passage, at 300 words in length, first gives background on the incel community. It then summarizes a new study (May 21, 2025) on incel attitudes and beliefs published the Archives of Sexual Behavior journal. The study's results challenge some misconceptions about the incel community and highlight the mental health and antisocial factors that lead to such harmful atitudes.
  • The reading passage is followed by comprehension and follow-up questions.
  • Next, students match vocabulary from the passage to definitions. Then students form discussion questions with the target vocabulary. 
  • The lesson has two debate prompts related to finding a romantic partner and the value of dating apps.
  • The first extended speaking activity focuses on four archetypes from the incel community: The Stacey, The Chad, The Becky, and The Virgin. After labelling a meme-based images, students read a list of 13 descriptors that they must try to match to each archetype. I've made an effort to include more lighthearted descriptors (compared to some of the vulgar ideas found in the original memes). The activity ends with a discussion of how memes such as these affect our views of men and women.
  • The first roleplay describes a situation between a father who wants to get his incel son to begin dating and have a "normal" social life. The second is between a TikTok content manager who is considering banning a controversial "alpha-male" influencer.
  • Next, students review one famous quotation and the lesson's collocations for both the passage and the archetype activity.
  • Finally, students review vocabulary before discussing some final discussion questions.

An image based on four incel community archetypes.

UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2/C1) Lesson on Incel Attitudes & Beliefs

Warm-up

  1. In your opinion, is getting a boyfriend or girlfriend difficult?
  2. Are you the type of person who is good at dating or attracting a partner?
  3. What kind of person are men and women typically physically attracted to? Complete the table below:
Women desire someone who is ….Men desire someone who is …
  • Some people identify as “incels”. What does this mean? What do you know about them?

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This lesson plan was created by Matthew Barton of EnglishCurrent.com (copyright). Site members may photocopy and edit the file for their classes. Permission is not given to rebrand the lesson, redistribute it on another platform, or sell it as part of commercial course curriculum. ChatGPT was used to generate answer keys and some famous quotations. For questions, contact the author.

Comprehension Question Answer Key

  1. Incels are men who feel rejected by women and society; the study challenges stereotypes and highlights mental health and personality issues.
  2. Believing your situation can’t improve due to looks or society; it leads to hopelessness.
  3. That incels are young, white, right-wing, and unemployed.
  4. Many are employed, not all are white, and most are politically left of center.
  5. Politically progressive or moderate; no, it doesn’t match the stereotype.
  6. …
  7. …

Vocabulary: 1-e, 2-h, 3-k, 4-d, 5-f, 6-c, 7-a, 8-j, 9-i, 10-g, 11-b, 12-l

Archetype answers:

  • Stacey-c,e,g,j
  • Chad-d,k
  • Becky-a,b,f
  • Virgin-h,I,l

Passage Collocations 1-a, 2-e, 3-b, 4-d, 5-d

Archetype Collocations: 1-d, 2-e, 3-f, 4-a, 5-c, 6-b

[1] https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10508-025-03161-y

[2] https://www.educateagainsthate.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Incels-A-guide-for-those-teaching-Year-10-and-above-1-1.pdf , descriptions: https://www.vox.com/2018/4/28/17290256/incel-chad-stacy-becky

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