IELTS Speaking for Success - 📋 Making Lists (S04E21) + Transcript

Episode Date: November 2, 2020

How often do you make lists? Do you make a shopping list when you go shopping? Why don't some people like making lists? Do you prefer to make lists on paper or on your phone? Tune in and have a great day! - IELTS Speaking for Success PREMIUM: https://linktr.ee/sfspremium Transcript: https://successwithielts.com/s04e21 Find an IELTS Speaking Partner: https://links.successwithielts.com/ieltspartner Our social media: https://linktr.ee/successwithielts © 2020 Success with IELTS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello, I love the listener, I'm Maria. And my name is Rory and we are the host of the AIL Speaking for Success podcast. The podcast that aims to help you improve your speaking skills as well as your listening skills along the way. We started this podcast because we want you to use high-level words and gorgeous grammar in your I-old speaking and in your English life, having fun together with us. Rory, it's our birthday today. It's our podcast birthday. It is, yeah. What do you want for your podcast? birthday or our podcast birthday. Okay, Rory, so I want a cheesecake, a diamond ring, a new dress, a new lipstick, new

shoes to go with a dress. I want a holiday in Thailand. I'll add them all to the list, all right? Oh, what a coincidence, because we're going to be talking about making lists today. Rory, do you like making lists? Oh, I love it. It brings order to the chaos of life and it makes it easier to work out what you need to do rather than just flying by the seat of your pants, I suppose.

I think making lists is one of my favourite things to do, for sure. How often do you make lists? Oh God, probably every day, I imagine. Well, if we think about a lesson plan, for example, is a list of activities in the logical sequence and then there are things to add for each existing list that I already have. and then there are the tick lists that support my existing routine. So yeah, there's lots of lists and it's definitely an everyday task for me. Do you make a shopping list when you go shopping?

I used to, but I don't need to now since I've got one fixed list and it barely changes. And it's one of the few lists I actually keep on my phone. So in this way, I don't actually have to do that much with it. Do you make to-do lists at work? Well, my work makes the to-do list for me, I suppose. I just put everything in the right order. So, for example, I have a list of classes and things connected to preparing for the classes, and then there are things that crop up throughout the day or the week that get added to it.

I'd say it's about 80% effective, since I don't always get everything done on the day, but I just carry it over to the next day until I get it done, really. Why don't some people like making lists? Well, I suppose they just don't see the merit in it Or possibly they're naturally organized And so they just do this as a matter of course And the third option is that they just thrive on chaos You find that with people who are quite artistic and creative

For example They're not very good at making lists But they are very good at other things So maybe that's why they don't like it Because it cramps their style in a way Do you prefer to make a list on paper or on your phone? Well, despite the fact that I have my shopping list on my phone,

I definitely say that paper is better. Probably just because I grew up with it, because I've done it so much, it's just, I think it's force of habit for me. I can see the merits of having things on my phone, though. It's more portable than a diary, and maybe I'll switch over to that next year. But for now, paper is my go-to option for making a list.

When was the last time you made a list? That's a good question. I think probably last Friday when I was adding my weekly schedule to my diary planner. So I've been trying to do that more often when I can because first of all, my Friday is largely free. So I have time to organize and print all my materials. So when I add my list to my diary planner, I already kind of go through in my head what I'm going to need to prepare for that week. Rory, thank you so much for your organized answers. It's okay. I hope you have a list of grammar and vocabulary that we can talk about.

I do. Get you and your crew to the big shows with GoTransit. Go connects to all the main concert venues like TD Coliseum in Hamilton and Scotia Bank Arena in Toronto. And Go makes it affordable with special e-ticket fairs. A one-day weekend pass offers unlimited travel across the network on any weekend day or holiday for just $10. And a weekday group pass offers the same weekday travel flexibility from $30 for two people and up to $60 for $5. at go-transit.com slash tickets. Now, first of all, you know, a list could be a tricky word if you have a similar word

in your native language. For example, in Russian. Yeah, in Russian. List, we say list. List in Russian is a piece of paper, but a list in English is a record of short pieces of information, like a shopping list. If you're Russian, you don't need to panic because you need a piece of paper to make a list. So maybe that's a helpful reminder.

Yes, for Russian listeners, you should have a list to make a list. Okay, right, so a list is a record of short pieces of information. And we can say make a list or make lists, or you can say draw up, draw up a list. Something could be on the list, right, and you can have a list of something. So, Rory, you've mentioned you have a list of things to do at school, right? What else do you have? A list of what? Yeah, I have a list of classes.

I have a list of tasks to do, like, I suppose, daily routines. And then I have, outside of that, I have a list of things to prepare for my classes. You can put something on your list. And Rory, you said a nice one, a tick list. Yeah, a tick list. is, well, it's like a checklist. So every time you complete the task, you mark a tick next to it. Or you can do what I do and you can cross things off the list, which is a good phrasal verb.

So to tick off or to cross off. Yeah, beautiful. And I love doing this, you know, crossing things off the list. You feel this. It's very satisfying feeling. Yeah. It releases stress. You feel this sense of comfort.

Oh, it's great. Yeah, so a tick list and you tick things off and you cross things. of the list. And also you have a fixed list. Yes. So a fixed list is something that doesn't change much if ever. So my list is fixed because I buy the same things for my shopping every week. To be honest, I'm surprised the people at the cash desk don't make comments every time I buy it now because I've been doing the same thing for about, I don't know, a year now. And yeah, you can have a shopping list, a reading list, a list of chores, like housework that you have to do. And if you really don't like people and you're in the mafia, you can have a hit list.

Oh, a hit list. People you need to kill. We can have to-do lists, right? And lists of daily tasks or lists of priorities. Rory, you've used a beautiful phrase, fly by the same. seat of your pants. Oh my God. Yes. Oh my God. I love that expression. So if you fly by the seat of your pants, it means that you're just doing things as

they come. You don't really have any advanced plan. You're just sort of dealing with problems or issues as they emerge. And some people are very good at that. I am not. That makes me very anxious. I like to have a plan in place that I can follow or a list in this case if we talk about that.

Yeah. This is so cool. For example, like, I have no idea how to do it. I'm just flying by the seat of my pants. Yeah, but that's unlike you also. I know that you don't like to fly by the seat of your pants. No, I love just flying by the seat of my pants. Really?

Oh, absolutely. Yeah, but I do enjoy drawing up lists, though. I have, like, pretty much many lists. Do you follow them? Oh, yeah, absolutely. I cross things off. I tick things. I kind of

because the the lists, like making a list helps me to shape my day, you know, it helps me to prioritize so yeah, I'm just used to making lists. And we can make lists on paper or on your phone.

So, Rory, you told us that you prefer making lists on paper. Yes, I do. It sort of comes naturally. But we can have digital lists. You can, or you could just say I have a list on my phone Or you can even use some To-do app, you know, to have a...

I was just thinking about that. There are apps and websites that you can use also, which might be useful. Have you ever used a To-do app? People have tried to make me use these things, but because I'm not very good with technology and I already have my own system and way of doing things, it never works. And when we make lists, it's all about getting everything done. And Rory has used this phrase, to get things done, to get it done. Just get it done, you know.

Yeah. Don't carry it over to the next day. Get it done today. Well, I try not to carry it over to the next day, but inevitably that happens. If you carry something over, it just means that you move it to the following day. But don't say move. Say carry over. It's a phrasal verb.

It's a good phrasal verb. Yeah. Carry something over to the next day. some things can crop up so if things crop up they just happen right yes um it's like uh let's say you're at work and you get an email from a new client and they ask you to do something very quickly for them that's something that just crops up and you can deal with it quite quickly those people who don't make lists they thrive on chaos panic and disorder yeah so you can thrive on chaos i don't but a lot of people do

and if you thrive on something it just means that you do very well so people can thrive on chaos if you're creative that can help them think we need oxygen to thrive because if we don't have it then we'll die yeah chaos or we can say like our chaotic life

on the subject of chaos I also use the expression to bring chaos to order so whenever you're organising things and making things less chaotic you're bringing chaos to order and that's quite a good... That's a good... It's either a fixed expression

or an idiomatic expression depending on how you look at it. And so it's a good one to have, I think. And the one people use fairly frequently. Yeah, so lists bring order to the chaos of our life. Yes. Yeah, when we have lists on our phones,

it's more portable. Portable, so I can carry my lists with me. Yes. Sort of like how your phone is portable. Or you can have your dairy... Dairy? What? You can have your diary planner. Not dairy.

Dairy is about milk and yogurt. Yeah, so... And Rory has his diary planner, right? I do. I have it in front of me now. And he adds his weekly schedule together with the podcasting on his diary planner. And Rory, you know what? I have a life hack.

You do? Yeah, because you make this, I make this. So, and we should kiss our lists. Yes, dear listener, you should kiss your list. It means kiss it, keep it stupid, simple. You know, so write down easy, doable tasks. For example, listen to one episode of our premium podcast. Yeah, this is doable.

You can do that every day. Absolutely. And also... Unless you're me and then you never get around to it, even though people keep telling you to. Oh God, Rory... I will get there in the end. Yeah, Rory's too busy.

He has many lists to make. And you guys, you can also have a bucket list. Rory, have you got a bucket list? I don't have... Well, actually, I do have a bucket list. I didn't realize I had one until the other day. But for me, it was just another to-do list. But actually, it is resembling a bucket list.

Do you want to explain it for us? Yes, a bucket list is a list of things that you want to do to achieve before you die. And actually, there is a great movie which is called The Bucket List with Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. A great movie, it's a comedy. Well, comedy, kind of a comedy.

But go ahead and watch it in English. It's beautiful, and maybe it will inspire you to create your bucket list, because I've got my bucket list. I've recently added a diamond ring on my bucket list. By the way, Rory, it's our birthday today. It is our birthday today But I'm not buying you a diamond ring

I think you could ask your boyfriend for that Oh fine Gosh You sound so disappointed No I'm just you know I just want you to Give me presents for a change Okay you guys

Because it's our birthday We have some breaking news for you And we have a present for you It's our birthday yes Because we are turning what One year old The podcast is one year old Happy birthday, dear podcasts.

Yes, so last year on the 2nd of November, we started this lovely podcast with our first episode, which actually never got published. So, on our birthday... We did publish it eventually, though, didn't we? No, no, it never got published because it was horrible. Wait, are we talking about the climate change one? Yes, climate change. Yeah. But I thought we were asking people if they wanted to hear it.

Yeah, we're going to publish it on Telegram, but not for everyone. So if you want to listen to it... If you want to hear it, then go on Telegram and it's there. Yeah. Okay, okay, so the present. So because it's our birthday, we are adding our speaking course with three Rories. We are adding this course to our premium podcast. So the speaking course is going to be available to us.

our premium subscribers. Woohoo! Yay! So, only after the trial, you are becoming our premium subscriber and then you can have a look at the speaking course and do the tasks.

You can listen to the videos, watch the videos, have PDFs with good vocabulary. Yeah, so go check it out. Thank you very much for listening. Happy birthday to us. Happy birthday, Rory. Happy birthday, Marie.

Let's make a list of our birthday wish. Let's do that. But let's finish up first. Bye. Rory, do you like making lists? Oh, I love it. It brings order to the chaos of life and it makes it easier to work out what you need to do rather than just flying by the seat of your pants, I suppose. I think making lists is one of my favorite things to do, for sure. How often do you make lists? Oh God, probably every day, I imagine.

Well, if we think about a lesson plan, for example, is a list of activities in the logical sequence, and then there are things to add for each existing list that I already have, and then there are the tick lists that support my existing routine. So, yeah, there's lots of lists, and it's definitely an everyday task for me. Do you make a shopping list when you go shopping? I used to, but I don't need to now, since I've got one fixed list, and it barely changes. and it's one of the few lists I actually keep on my phone, so in this way I don't actually have to do that much with it.

Do you make to-do lists at work? Well, my work makes the to-do list for me, I suppose. I just put everything in the right order. So, for example, I have a list of classes and things connected to preparing for the classes, and then there are things that crop up throughout the day or the week that get added to it. I say it's about 80% effective, since I don't always get everything done on the day, but I just carry it over to the next day

until I get it done, really. Why don't some people like making lists? Well, I suppose they just don't see the merit in it, or possibly they're naturally organized, and so they just do this as a matter, of course. And the third option is that they just thrive on chaos. You find that with people who are quite artistic and creative, for example. They're not very good at making lists,

but they are very good at other things. So maybe that's why they don't like it because it cramps their style in a way. Do you prefer to make a list on paper or on your phone? Well, despite the fact that I have my shopping list on my phone, I definitely say that paper is better. Probably just because I grew up with it, because I've done it so much,

it's just, I think it's force of habit for me. I can see the merits of having things on my phone, though. It's more portable than a diary. and maybe I'll switch over to that next year, but for now, paper is my go-to option for making a list. When was the last time you made a list? That's a good question. I think probably last Friday when I was adding my weekly schedule to my diary planner.

So I've been trying to do that more often when I can because, first of all, my Friday is largely free, so I have time to organize and print all my materials. So when I add my list to my diary planner, I already kind of go through in my head, what I'm going to need to prepare for that week.