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There's a lot more German spoken in the hallways of Roanoke County's newly renovated Northside High School these days. That's partly because there are 17 German high school students visiting the school this week, part of an exchange program that sends German students to Roanoke and Roanoke students to Germany.

That program might have something to do with the language's recent popularity at the school. This year, about 100 Northside students are taking German, said German teacher Alan Strecker, who organizes the exchange program. Next year, 139 students have signed up for German, he said.

"We try to have fun in German class," Strecker said. "We learn a lot, we have these trips every other year. We visited six countries last year. We went to Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary and Germany."

This year, it's the Germans' turn to visit. The 17 students and two adults from a school near Bonn arrived about 10 days ago for a two-week visit. They stay with host families, attend classes at the school and take part in organized activities. Over the weekend, for instance, they went to the safari park near Lexington. Today they're taking part in a basketball tournament. On Thursday, they plan to attend the opening night festivities for the Salem Red Sox.

Sina Morys, a 14-year-old German student, said the school day here is longer than in Germany, where schools let out about noon.

"In school in Germany we don't eat in school," she said.

She's also been enjoying living with her American host family.

"I think my English has become better with the time, and it's so cool now to live like the Americans," she said in near-perfect English.

The students' favorite pastime, however, has been shopping, according to Michael Strauss, the German students' English teacher who is part of the trip.

Thanks to a strong euro, the teenagers have been doing their part to stimulate the area's retail economy.

"It's so much cheaper here," said Strauss.

The exchange program started about 20 years ago, but had been dis continued for a few years until Strecker came to Northside about four years ago, he said. German students visit Roanoke in the spring, and Roanoke students wait until the summer to visit Germany. The host school in Germany is still in session during the summer, Strecker said.

Strecker is now planning Northside's trip to Germany in 2010, which will include side trips to Austria, Liechtenstein and Switzerland. Five students have already signed up.