Yes, just hacking around can be useful for beginners. Dynamic typing like Python does (and not like PHP or Javascript) might be ideal for novices.
About design patterns: Lots, if not all, of the common design patterns for Java are just workarounds for weaknesses of the language, like lack of proper closures. So more capacity for abstraction would make them less verbose or invisible.
About design patterns: Lots, if not all, of the common design patterns for Java are just workarounds for weaknesses of the language, like lack of proper closures. So more capacity for abstraction would make them less verbose or invisible.