Few would doubt that an interpreter has to be bilingual - the problem lies in defining what is meant by 'bilingual' and how this status is related ot interpretation. This paper centers on the discussion of three independent but associated concepts: 1) the theoretical constructs of bilingualism seen as part of a dynamic and evolving continuum; 2) the relevance of language learning and/or language acquisition to interpreting ability; and 3) the pertinence of the dichotomy 'coordinated' versus 'compound' bilingualism to the prediction of interpreting skills.