You need a few xml tricks...
var serializer = new XmlSerializer(typeof(List));
var ns = new XmlSerializerNamespaces();
ns.Add("", "");
var sw = new StringWriter();
var xmlWriter = XmlWriter.Create(sw, new XmlWriterSettings() { OmitXmlDeclaration = true });
serializer.Serialize(xmlWriter, model, ns);
string xml = sw.ToString();
Output:
a
1
b
2
PS: I added Indent = true
to XmlWriterSettings
to get the above output