import string


def convert_to_word_list(text: str, current_word_list=None):
    """
    convert a string of words into a list, if current_list is specified
    the new list is appended to the current_list (current_list is NOT
    modified)

    :param current_word_list:
    :param text:
    :return: a new word list appended to current_word_list
    """

    sanitized_text = ''.join(' ' if c in string.punctuation
                             else c for c in text)
    new_word_list = sanitized_text.split()

    return current_word_list + new_word_list \
        if current_word_list is not None else new_word_list