Participation is considered a positive student classroom behavior that can also create a face-threatening classroom climate that may be alleviated through interpersonal relationships with the instructor. Participants (N?=?189) categorized as low apprehensives perceived less face threat and more face support when participating; moderate apprehensives had similar perceptions and communication behaviors to high apprehensives; rapport was negatively related to face threats and participation anxiety, and positively related to face support and participation; and face support was the only significant predictor of students' participation for low and moderate apprehensives, while instructor communication did not predict participation for highly apprehensive students.