We describe an HIV-infected, bilingual patient presenting with Wernicke's aphasia due to partial status epilepticus with periodic lateralized epileptiform discharges, as the first sign of AIDS-toxoplasmosis complex. The localization of the native and secondary language centers in the brain and the possible role of recurrent seizures in the fluctuating course of Wernicke's aphasia in this patient are discussed. The clinical course of this patient supports the belief that a second language area for a second language learned in the later stages of life is located in an area different from that for the native language but still in close proximity to it.