It is no wonder that Americans can easily conduct small talk with salespeople, strangers, at the gym, or even with taxi-drivers. In some cultures, such chatting may be perceived as a waste of time. But in the English-speaking world, small talk conversations are absolutely normal. Steps to making small talk: 5 main principles More @Wikipedia
Hover over any link to get a description of the article. Please note that search keywords are sometimes hidden within the full article and don't appear in the description or title.