Learning to read can pose a major challenge to students, and much of this challenge is due to the fact that written language is necessarily impoverished when compared to the rich, continuous speech signal. Prosodic elements of language are scarcely represented in written text, and while oral reading prosody has been addressed in the literature concerning first language acquisition, the literature on second language prosody in oral reading is lacking. The present study seeks to improve our understanding of second language prosody in the oral reading of adult learners of Brazilian Portuguese. Participants read a series of three short stories varying in difficulty and silent versus aloud condition and answered associated comprehension questions. They also completed a language experience questionnaire. Results suggest that while intonational range is correlated with comprehension, the acquisition of Portuguese stress patterns is related to experience with the Portuguese language and Spanish ability. Furthermore, learners of Brazilian Portuguese seem to be very poor at acquiring correct target intonational patterns, as even the most experienced learners continue to apply native intonational contours. Future research leads and implications for both linguistics and education are discussed. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]