Twenty-five near native speakers of a second language (L2) were interviewed about the linguistic, sociological, psychological, and emotional reasons involved in the process of fossilization in foreign language learning. All of the subjects considered that their command of the target language was not as good as a native speaker's of that target language in many areas; however, they all agreed that their command of the target language was adequate for their professional and communication needs. Results also suggest that: fossilization can be conscious; it is not experienced as a problem by individuals; it is deeply connected to the idea of purpose; it can be determined by personal characteristics; it is deeply related to psychosocial factors; it is changeable and unpredictable; and it is difficult to eradicate (Contains 24 references.) (Author/JP)