How can I talk to a girl I like to ask her on a first date?

A big problem is when people go on dates and people start asking boring questions like, "Oh, hey, so what do you do?" and then they respond with something like, "Yeah, that's cool." It's not interesting and you're not building any suspense or tension. You're not giving her a hint that you're actually interested. If she flirts with you, flirt back. If she isn't flirting with you, start it off by making some jokes or saying something kind of playful. If they ask you a question, ask them another question back. This will help build tension and grow the conversation.