Willingness to communicate (WTC) has been defined as the intention to initiatecommunication, given a choice. It was hypothesized that orientations toward language learning aswell as social support would influence students' WTC in a second language. Grade 9students of L2 French immersion, living in a relatively unilingual Anglophone community,participated in the study. WTC was measured in each of four skill areas: speaking, writing,reading, and comprehension. Five orientations or reasons for studying an L2 were examined:travel, job related, friendship with Francophones, personal knowledge, and school achievement.Results showed that endorsement of all five orientations for language learning was positivelycorrelated with WTC both inside and outside the classroom. Results also showed that socialsupport, particularly from friends, was associated with higher levels of WTC outside theclassroom but played less of a role inside the classroom. The support of friends was alsoassociated with higher orientations for travel and for friendship with Francophones. Results arediscussed in terms of an emerging situated model.