Hm, an interesting question.
I could go on about the social convention differences, physical and lifestyle differences the skyrim world has to mine that would ultimately lead to my doom. Or...OR.... I could become Dragonborn, take over skyrim, and lead a campaign across Tamriel. This would all be after I teach the world of Skyrim the deliciousness that is pizza.
(After looking at this I kind of want to create a tactical battle plan detailing how I would take over)
Oh good lord. Well, assuming I wasn't eaten by something or attacked by bandits... Assuming I woke up relatively close to some sort of town and not halfway up a mountain (where I would die of exposure). I would head to this town post-haste only to find I couldn't understand a word of Tamrielic and the locals would think me a witch or stray creature from Oblivion.
Where I would be slaughtered and burned at a stake. ^^
If I happened to run across some really tolerant Nords who felt bad for me, hopefully, I could get one of the smarter ones to teach me the language and teach me to shoot a bow. But in all likelihood, I would be put to work in some inn as the retarded cousin of whomever took me in cleaning tables and doing all the grunt work.
It would not be pleasant.
Until, of course, I proved my worth with my artistic skills and was able to get commissions drawing and painting things for people. Or showed that I knew my letters and could write. I'd be very happy to be hired on some expedition as a cartographer or something of the sort. (But only after I knew how to defend myself. We've all seen what happens to the one writing the journals or making notes!)
I don't know what race I would appear as. Probably half-Breton, half-Nord if we're going by major genetic traits.
Tamrielic = Cyrodiilic
Not necessarily. The whole game world could be a translation of what was actually there. I'm thinking of this from the understanding that Tolkien, though he created Middle-Earth, stated his works would have been a translation from Westron. Which meant that Westron was not English.
I think it would be safe to assume that Tamrielic/Cyrodiilic behaves in the same way. And even if it didn't, their dialect would be very different from mine and comprehension would still be difficult.
Perhaps, we'd have to ask Bethesda I'd suppose.
If it is just dialect it wouldn't take long to get used to, I know what you mean though, over here every town got its own little dialect and sometimes I really can't understand what someone from another region is saying. :P
First, I would NEVER and I mean never travel to any of the cold snowy places. I have had enough of that crap in my real life (been shoveling more snow the past three winters than seems humanly possible; dang kids need to get bigger faster so I can make them do it ). I also wonder if the tips of the elves ears get frostbit more often than other ears.
Most likely, given my predilection for learning and studying I would probably find someone in a warm climate to teach me about alchemy and then spend my life wandering the wilds picking herbs, various mushrooms and creating potions. I would also read all the books I could find. A nice out of the way cabin in the woods sounds perfect for me.
Last, I would care not a whit about the civil war.