A lack of teachers could get in the way of a National Party bid for our children to learn a second language.

The party's education spokesperson Nikki Kaye intends to release a draft bill on the matter today.

It would require every primary and intermediate school to offer at least one language from a yet-to-be-decided list.

President Whetu Cormick told Nadine Higgins schools are struggling to teach Te Reo Maori as is.

"So if we're going to be introducing ten other languages, one would have to question what would be the degree of fluency that children will leave with if it's just going to be basic."

Cormick said the idea has legs, but is easier said than done.

"When we look at the teacher supply area, we don't have enough teachers to do the basics, so I'm really not sure in the future they are going to be able to find these teachers to teach these two languages."

Kaye however hopes parents will welcome her plan to get children learning a second language.

Kaye told Newstalk ZB that parents should look at the policy as an opportunity -- not an imposition.

"Everyone's going to be offered this opportunity. We can have an exceptions policy if you needed to but for all intents and purposes everyone's going to be learning a second language."

It would give legal teeth to a National Party policy unveiled at the party's election campaign opening last August.

Kaye said the benefits of being multilingual have been well-documented, and New Zealand's monolingual culture needs to change.

"We know the benefits of learning a second language, both cognitive, cultural, but also we live in a global world, the importance of being able to speak to people of other nationalities."

LISTEN TO WHETU CORMICK TALK WITH NADINE HIGGINS ABOVE