Dennis Warren ELT

Congratulations, Amanda!

Nine months of hard work and dedication have paid off. Amanda, at the age of 16 , has achieved what it takes many people much longer - she has passed the Cambridge C2!

But no matter your age, it's important to have dreams and take concrete steps to achieve them. I'ts never too late to reach the leve of English you've always dreamed of.

Get in touch and let's make the first steps to success together.

✍️ C1 & C2 Essay Tip: Don’t start like this...

❌ “In this essay I will discuss...”

Examiners see this hundreds of times. It doesn’t help your score, it wastes words and it doesn't catch the examiner's attention.

✅ Try this instead:
“In a world saturated with social media, the question of authenticity has become more urgent than ever.”

That’s a hook: clear, relevant, and interesting.

💬 Want more opening phrases like this? Let me know below 👇
💬 Want to work on your advanced writing skills? Get in touch for tailor-made lessons!

After a hiatus, I’m returning to share practical tips, support, and resources for anyone working towards the Cambridge B2, C1, or C2 exams – or just looking to sharpen their English.

I’ve been teaching for over 20 years, I’m Delta-qualified, and was an IELTS and Cambridge Speaking Examiner for 15+ years.

I live in Brazil 🇧🇷, a long way from my UK roots, but my students come from all over the world 🌍.

If you're looking for:

✍️ real examples of great writing
💬 tips to boost your speaking
📘 insights into what examiners actually want
🧠 grammar that’s clear, not confusing
🧾 vocabulary that sounds natural — and scores points

..then this is your space.

💬 Say hi in the comments! Tell me what exam (if any) you’re working on – or what you’d love to see here.

Chai com amor ❤️

𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤.

I have only a few places left, so hurry!

The Cambridge C2 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 is proof of your excellence in English.

You might want to gain it to study on a postgraduate course in an English-speaking university.

You might need it to prove to potential employers of your ability to deal with international clients and colleagues.

You might want it to show your credentials to students, or to inspire them on the road to success.

Or you might wish to have it to show to yourself that you are capable of achieving the highest level possible in English.

Whatever your reason, I can help you get there! I have 20 years' experience teaching B2, C1 and C2 exams, and was a Cambridge speaking examiner for more than 15 years.

The 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 is a two-semester prep course designed for students aiming to take the exam at the end of the year.

40 hours per semester
2 full mocks per semester, including a speaking mock with two examiners!
Detailed feedback
Individual support
Thursdays 19:00 - 21:00
Starts this week!!! Feb 8th

Hurry, there are only a few places left!

DM me or follow the links! https://linktr.ee/denniswarren

Can someone please take pity on me and invite me to become a Celta/Trinity tutor?

It is so weird that I am a local tutor for Delta Module 2, but because there's no Celta centre in Curitiba, I'm kind of optionless.....

Hi everyone

Exciting news! I'm launching my short course programme for English teachers. I'm offering short, affordable courses that will bring new knowledge and skills. All courses will be on Tuesday evenings, from 19.30 - 21.00 at different dates throughout the semester.

𝐏𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐜 𝐀𝐥𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐛𝐞𝐭 𝟏𝟎𝟏
This introductory course to the UK English phonemic alphabet is a lively tour of speech production in English. Learning about the phonemic alphabet and how speech is made can help your understanding of English pronunciation an boost your teaching!

𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐞
1 The sound system of English and the mechanics of speech
2 Consonants - place and manner or articulation
3 Vowels 1 (monophthongs)
4 Vowels (diphthongs)
5 Putting it all together!

𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬: March 5 - April 2

𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝟐 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠
Do you teach learners for the Cambridge B2 exam? Want to learn in detail how the speaking is assessed? This short course will give you the tools to properly assess and guide your learners in this crucial skill.

𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐞
1 The Speaking Test - format and procedures
2 Criteria 1: Grammar and Vocabulary
3 Criteria 1: Discourse Management
4 Criteria 3 & 4: Pronunciation & Interactive Communication
5 Putting it all together

𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬: March 9 - May 7

𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝟐 𝐖𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠
Do you teach learners for the Cambridge B2 exam? Want to learn in detail how the writing is assessed? This short course will give you the tools to properly assess and understand your learners' skills

1 The Writing paper - format and procedures
2 Criteria 1 & 2: Content & Communicative Achievement
3 Criteria 3: Organisation
4 Criteria 4: Language
5 Putting it all together

𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬: May 14 - June 11

𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭
Each course costs R$350
Sign up for two courses for R$650 and all three at a bargain R$900!!

𝐆𝐞𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐨𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫

One of the tricks to navigating proficiency exams successfully is, sadly, not simply getting your English to the right level. You also need to know what is being tested, and how to tackle the tasks.

In the first of a series of posts about the Use of English sections of the Cambridge C1 and C2 exam, we'll be exploring the format of task and its language focus. I'll be following that up with a post on each task - with tips, tricks and strategies for getting the best result possible.

Keep an eye out for more this week!

If you are thinking about taking the C1 or C2 exam, look no further! I offer courses and VIP 1-1 classes for C1 and C2. I have taught these exams for 20 years, was an examiner and exams supervisor for 15 years and know everything you need to know to pass the exam.

Take a look at my brochure for courses (link in bio) or get in touch to chat about your options. But hurry, places are limited!

If you have reached C1 or above, then my 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 is exclusive to you! It is extended exploration of the English language, using authentic texts, audio, and video, and together we will learn interesting new vocabulary and refine your ability to use the language you love!

My 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 conversation course will bring you:

1. Fluency
2. New language
3. Flexibility
4. Challenge
5. Confidence
6. Enjoyment

𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐬
Fridays 19:00 – 20:30

Feb 02 09 16 23
Mar 01 08 15 22
Apr 05 12 19 26
May 03 10 17 24
Jun 07 14 21 28

Total hours: 30

𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦: Zoom + Google Classroom

More details in 𝐛𝐢𝐨 or 𝐃𝐌 me

Paper 1 in C1 and C2 - Reading & Use of English can be tough, and you make it harder on yourself if you haven't practised under timed conditions.

You have 90 minutes for the whole paper, so you need to have a very good understanding of how long each part takes you on average.

Here are my suggested timings. Remmber, though, that your own timings may be different, based on what you find more or less challenging.

The important thing is to practice a lot and work fast. Time yourself for each task so you know how long you need on each. If you exceeed 90 minutes for the whole paper, then you need to work on speeding up.

Use my suggested times for each task to identify where you might need to become more efficiecnt in completing the task, and if you think that you need a bit more time for one part you can reduce another part to compensate for it.

Once you have managed to complete each task in atime to bring the whole paper under minutes, start practising the whole paper - stamina is also important!

A really important thing to remember is if you are doing the paper-based exam. You need at least 5 minutes to transfer your answers to the separate answer sheet. That's why I recommend the Digital exam - you effectively have more time to focus on the right answers!

Good luck!

Come and join me for free workshops on Cambridge English exams.

I'll be running two free workshops this month on C1 and C2 exams.

𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗖𝟭 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱
Friday January 19th at 14.00

𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗖𝟮 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆
Thursday January 18th at 19.30
𝗼𝗿
Friday January 19th at 10.00

all times = Brasília

Check out my course brochure, schedule a chat or message me to say hello. Link in bio!