Request made by intimate learner (8)
I believe the answer is:
beginner
'learner' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
'request made by intimate' is the wordplay.
'request' becomes 'beg' (begging is a kind of requesting).
'made by' is a charade indicator (letters next to each other) (letters written or made by another set of letters).
'intimate' becomes 'inner' (both can mean secret or private).
'beg'+'inner'='BEGINNER'
(Other definitions for beginner that I've seen before include "Tyro, learner" , "One just starting out" , "Starter" , "Tyro, novice" , "new recruit, perhaps" .)