Generally, you won’t find much activity in the /shout or /say chat in an area unless you’re in a major city state (Limsa is usually fairly popular and usually has an active /shout chat). Most players talk in their Free Company chat or in Linkshells. There is no such thing as a “general chat” in FFXIV—the closest thing you’ll get to that is the Novice Network.

If you really want to have a talkative environment, try to join a very active FC on your world.