The federal minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism says he is worried about Canadian citizens who can't speak either official language.

Jason Kenney says he wants to see new regulations to ensure anyone who is a citizen can speak either English or French.

"Someone who has been here for 15 years and can't speak English or French is basically locking themselves out of the vast majority of jobs and is isolating themselves socially, and that is a tragedy."

Kenney, who is the Conservative MP for Calgary Southeast, says that while there are points awarded for proficiency in either official language, new immigrants should be encouraged to improve their language skills before coming to Canada.

He believes that if someone can't complete a citizenship test in either language, they should be turned down.

But opponents say that while learning English or French is important, it isn't the only thing that defines a citizen.

NDP Immigration Critic Olivia Chow says new immigrants are so busy trying to make new lives for themselves that they often don't have time for language lessons.

An immigrant herself, Chow believes that if immigrants are being forced to learn a new language, there should be extra accommodations made to help them achieve that goal.