Americans are known around the world for being very friendly and talkative people. In particular, we are socialized in a culture that places great importance on small talk. For Americans, myself included, small talk is often used as a stepping stone to get to know someone better. Additionally, small talk is often used to avoid what we percieve as awkwardness if there is silence in a conversation.
During my time in Germany thus far, I've had the opportunity to experience a different perspective on small talk. One common stereotype about German people is that they do not engage in much small talk. Rather, Germans prefer to only say something if they have something important to add to the conversation. For this reason, Americans sometimes stereotype Germans as being less friendly than the typical American.
In my experience, I do think that there are some important differences between how Americans and Germans understand the purpose of small talk. However, I do not think that these differences should lead us to believe that Germans are less friendly or caring than Americans.
With my students at school, I've been leading a speaking exercise to help make them more comfortable and confident with small talk. Before I start the activity, I ask students how they would define small talk.
