Are you a list person?
I sure am. I have lists everywhere. Literally everywhere.
When I finish a task it is so satisfying for me to cross off items from my to-do list. When I have a brilliant idea it is so invigorating to write it in the idea box of my planner.
I’m such a list freak that I even use colour-coding to categorize things on the list or … yes.. I admit it … highlighters to reflect my mood.
Is it a blue highlighter day? That means I might be feeling a little bit off that day. Beware!
Or is it a hot pink highlighter day? That means I’m totally on top of my game, feeling cheerful and energetic.
Bring it on!
If you’re working on perfecting your English here is a suggestion I give my students all the time:
Start writing out ALL of your lists in English
- To-do list
- Not to-do list (Yes siree Bob! There is such a thing and I will explain why in a future post)
- Grocery list
- Routine list
- Repair list
- Daily task list
And of course, my favorites:
- Bucket list
- Idea list
- Gratitude list
- Dream list
- Money Move list ( Also the topic of another intriguing email!)
Writing lists in English will be beneficial to your learning process in many ways
It will activate your brain and get it “thinking” in English on a more frequent basis.
You will most likely use some of the same vocabulary which will therefore increase your retention rate of these words and expressions you need to use on a regular basis.
Scientific research shows that people who write lists sleep better. Imagine that!! Perfecting your English AND sleeping better. You can thank me later. ;P
Dr. Michael K. Scullin, the lead researcher in a study on sleep says to-do lists and idea lists help us relax because we don’t have to worry about remembering the things we want to remember.
Once the ideas or tasks are on paper we can forget about them and get calmer. In this 24/7 culture, our endlessly growing to-do list can cause us to worry about unfinished projects at bedtime.
Put it down on paper.
It will act as a trigger several times a day to increase your exposure to English. It can act as a reminder to do your daily 15-minute active learning sessions.
Remember that learning English is really about how FREQUENTLY you expose yourself to this second language in a day, a week, or a month. So let’s get to it!
Happy listing!